Rhovanion Region Guide

The Lands of the River

Beranald, Doorwarden of Hartfast, son of Hartmut
Mountain Hall
Medium Human
Medium Human
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)
12 (+1) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) Armour Class 16 (Heavy Mail)
Armour Class 15 (Corslet of Mail, Shield) Hit Points 75 (10d8+30)
Hit Points 26 (4d8+8) Speed 30 ft
Speed 30 ft Skills Insight +5, Intimidation +3, Perception +5
Skills Perception +4, Persuasion +4, Traditions +3 Senses passive Perception 15
Senses passive Perception 14 Languages Westron
Languages Westron Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, Hartfast can move up to
Call for Aid. Beranald may use his action to blow his his speed toward a foe that he can see.
horn and summon aid. 1d4 Warriors (page 71 of the Hard Eyed. Hartfast has won many battles in defence
Loremaster’s Guide) arrive in 1d6+1 rounds. of his hall. He scores critical hits on a 18, 19 or 20 on an
Raise the Alarm. Beranald begins combat with 5 attack roll.
temporary hit points. These hit points are lost as soon as Warrior’s Charge. Hartfast gains Advantage on all
he attacks or calls for aid. attacks made in the first round of combat.

Actions Actions
Broadsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft, Multiattack. Hartfast makes two attacks with his great axe.
one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) slashing damage. Great Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) slashing damage.
Hartfast, son of Hartmut
Reactions
The chieftain of Mountain Hall has been introduced in Commanding Voice. Hartfast can inspire his allies with
Wilderland Adventures. He is a proud warrior of more his imposing presence and authoritative voice. He can
than fifty years, very tall even by Northmen standards, use his reaction to utter a command or shout a warning
yet still able to wield an axe with purpose. He is a very whenever a non-hostile creature, that he can see within
practical man, almost as obstinate as a Dwarf, with no 30 feet, is about to make an attack roll or a saving throw.
time to waste on foolish things like ‘adventures’. The target can add a d6 Command Die to its next roll,
Motivation: To protect my people and my position provided it can hear and understand the message. A
Expectations: +2 if the heroes show respect or address creature can benefit from only one Command Die at a
Hartfast as a Woodman; +1 if the heroes bring gifts or time, and creatures that possess Commanding Voice
mention Radagast; -1 if Hartfast suspects the player cannot benefit from this effect.
characters will stir up evil with their actions Parry. Hartfast adds +3 to his AC against one melee
attack that would hit him. To do so, he must see the
attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

Notable Places

The Wolfswood

The Wolfswood is a forest of oak, ash and rowan, running
to willow along the banks of the rivers. It is thick and
tangled, but is still much more airy and welcoming than
Mirkwood. The only horrors beneath these trees are the
evils men bring with them. Four crumbling stone forts
mark the edges of the Wolfswood on the north and west.
These forts were built long ago as a defence against
the Orcs, who once used the woods to shelter from the

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sunlight. The forts were abandoned many years ago, and armour of silver and gold, but they never returned. The
are now covered in ivy and cracked by questing tree-roots. River-folk swear that on still nights, you can hear their
Only ghosts watch the Wolfswood now. The Wolfswood hunting horns blowing desperately in the distance.
has always been associated with outlaws and exiles, and
many tales tell of brigands living in these forests. Heroes, Mountain Hall
too, have found shelter here — the Woodmen speak of a
mythical heroine named Ivina of the Green, who fought Firienseld has been described in detail in Wilderland
the servants of the Enemy more than three thousand years Adventures, starting from page 82. This is the best location
ago when the Shadow ruled all Middle-earth from Mordor in the West Anduin Vales for a company to choose as a
to the Sea. She hid in the wood, and sallied forth to raid sanctuar y.
the forces of the Enemy. Other old stories tell that an Elf-
prince once went hunting in the Wolfswood with nine Trader’s Island
companions, all riding fair white horses and bedecked in
Trader’s Island is a refuge of the River-folk. It is one of
the larger islands in the Anduin; the river splits around

New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: Visit the Market at Trader’s Island

The markets of the River-folk are a supply of curiosities 11-13 Good Bargain. You have found excellent deals upon
from the length of the Anduin. Companions spending a Trader’s Island. Select five or less items from page
Fellowship phase in Mountain Hall can go visit the Éafolc’s 153 of the Player’s Guide. You may purchase up to
market. You may elect to make a DC 15 Intelligence two of each item and pay half the listed cost.
(Investigation) check before rolling on the following table.
If you are successful, roll with Advantage. If you fail, roll 14-15 Southern Wine. You can spend silver pennies equal
with Disadvantage. If you are an Éafolc-friend, you may to your Proficiency Bonus on a promising bottle
automatically get Advantage without needing to make a of wine. Up to three bottles are available. During
check. If you choose not to make the check, just roll 1d20 an Audience, you can open a bottle to improve
and consult the table below: the attitude of your host by one step (two steps if
they’re from the South, or enamoured by alcohol).
1 Tricked by the River-folk! You’ve bought
something with your coin, but either spent too 16-17 River-charm. You have bought a lucky charm
much or gotten too little. Select an item from the of the Éafolc, spending gold pieces equal to your
Artisan’s Tools table on page 152 of the Player’s Proficiency Bonus. During the next Adventuring
Guide. You may either buy an item for twice its phase, whenever you roll a natural 1 outside of
listed cost, or purchase it for the regular price but combat you may spend a Hit Die in order to reroll.
it proves useless after the first time you need it.
18-19 Mab’s Liquor. You have bought a leathern
2-5 Nothing Useful. You spent gold pieces equal flask containing 2d3+1 sips of an amber liquid,
to your Proficiency Bonus but whatever you spending gold pieces equal to your Proficiency
purchased had any lasting value. If you don’t have Bonus. Those who drink it find that it raises the
sufficient money, you instead owe the River- spirits of travellers. With the first sip, a hero
folk a favour, the requirements of which the loses a level of Exhaustion and regains 1 Hit Die.
Loremaster will determine. However, that hero will gain no more benefit from
the cordial until they have taken a long rest.
6-10 Food and Drink. You spend silver pennies equal
to twice your Proficiency Bonus drinking and 20 Many Choices. You may either select any item
playing games on the island. The next time you listed above other than Mab’s Liquor, or choose to
visit, you are counted as an Éafolc-friend. roll again.

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The Lands of the River

a rocky outcropping like the Carrock, and a long sandy Combat Scenery: foundations, muddy banks, old walls,
spit has formed downstream of the rock. Stunted trees and ravines, scattered rocks, small streams, sun breaking
long grasses bind the island together, but the ground is not through the clouds
always safe, and unwary travellers may blunder into soft
sand or mud with little warning. There are usually several East An duin
Éafolc families camped on the isle, for they use it as a Vales
meeting-place and trading post. Persistent rumours claim
that there is a huge cache of buried treasure somewhere
on the island, a hoard accumulated by many generations
of a thieving River-folk family.

Hag’s Island E Pale Rider Caves

Hag’s Island lies just north of the meeting of the Gladden The Village E
and the Anduin rivers. It is a small tree-covered lump of of Stonyford
earth in the middle of the rushing waters, with dangerous
rapids on the east side. The island is said to be the home E The Long Barrows
of an evil monster, the River Hag, and certainly many
visitors to the isle have vanished mysteriously. At times, Stonehallow E
especially in summer, impenetrable river-mists surround
the island, and boats that try to make for the safer western The Elftower E E Field of Heroes
passage find themselves shipwrecked on the rapids of the
east channel.

East Anduin Vales

A visitor to this part of the Vales of Anduin would be Wildlife
forgiven for thinking that this land is empty. The land rolls
on for hundreds of miles beside the river, endless green Some of the denizens of Mirkwood, like the black boars
valleys running down to the Great River. To the east is the and stags, emerge from the darkness of the forest and cross
ever-present shadow of the forest like a black stain on the the vales here, but they are a rare sight. More commonly
horizon. encountered are the usual wildlife of the Anduin valley,
like foxes, badgers, otters, wild ponies and sheep. Hunting
While few people live here, the land remembers them. Eagles from the Eyrie often cross the river in search of prey.
There were kingdoms here, long ago, and armies watered
the soil with their blood. The visitor must clamber over The Woodmen of Mirkwood let their animals graze in the
ruined stone walls, or perhaps make camp amid the valleys of this region. They maintain pens and herder’s
barely-visible foundations of some old village. The cabins close to the edge of the forest.
tumbledown remains of ringforts crown every large hill
from the Old Ford to the Undeeps and Elven paths run
along the border of Mirkwood for many miles.

The Woodmen of Mirkwood live in this region — or at least Inhabitants
their herds do. Their villages lie deep in the forest, but they
keep herds of cattle and sheep in the open dales. Young Long ago, Northmen lived in this region. They dwelt in
men and women tend to the herds with the help of dogs, the open, and hewed wood from the forest to build their
and run back to the shelter of the forest when threatened. homes. Then Orcs and evil Men out of Dol Guldur attacked
from the south, and many wars were fought by the forest

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eaves. During the Watchful Peace, the Shadow withdrew People in the Vales of Anduin togue. They are a sparse
from Dol Guldur, but the Necromancer’s mortal servants folk, descended from a fierce people that once served Dol
were still at large. Guldur. The Balchoth — an Elvish name signifying ‘Cruel
People’ — came from the east riding in chariots and wains
The Northmen chose to move into the forest, which back and bringing great damage upon Gondor, until they were
then was not so terrible and tainted as it is today, and defeated at the Battle of the Fields of Celebrant. Most of
became Woodmen. They still consider these lands theirs, the Balchoth were slain, but a few survivors fled across
and when the Shadow is finally defeated, they may leave the Anduin. The majority of the survivors returned to
the shelter of the forest and settle here again. While they the east, but the ancestors of the Erringmen went north
do not live in the open, the Woodmen are busy in this instead, following the River. In time, they mingled with
land. They make boats and rafts down by the river, so they the Northmen, and abandoned many of the ways of their
can cross to Mountain Hall or trade with the Riverfolk. cruel kin.

The Woodmen do not love the Great River, preferring the The Erringmen travel in wagons drawn by oxen. They
sheltered waters of the Dusky River that runs by their move slowly, meandering like the river, bringing with
home, but they respect its power. There are hidden caches them large herds of cattle. They are doughty warriors,
all along the river-banks here, with small boats concealed preferring axes and bows to swords. Their champions
beneath bracken or flowering reeds. and leaders fight from chariots, which they decorate with
gold and intricate carvings to show prestige and wealth.
The Woodmen also grow vegetables and other crops in The Woodmen mistrust the Erringmen, but permit them
small gardens near the forest eaves. They do not rely to pass through their lands. While some of the Erringmen
on these fields, though — long and bitter experience have fallen back on old ways and once again serve the
has taught them that fields of waving grain burn all too Enemy, most are free of the Shadow.
quickly when invaders come.
The other group living in this land are newcomers. When
Two other groups live in this region. The first are the people Dol Guldur fell before the White Council just a few years
called the Erringmen — their name means the Wandering ago, many slaves escaped its pits and dungeons and

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The Lands of the River

fled north. The forest was a place of horrors for them, Motivation: My secrets are my own. No one can bear
so they settled in the East Anduin Vales a day’s ride west them for me.
of Woodmen-town. Most of the freed slaves are human,
though there are Dwarves and even Elves among them. Expectations: +1 if there is an Elf or Elf-friend among
Many of them have no homes to return to, for their kin all the Company; -2 if the heroes mention Dol Guldur or the
perished in the black pits of the Necromancer. Necromancer.

Notable Characters Valderic

Ash Valderic is a wagon-captain of the Erringmen. His
Easterling heritage is strong — he is shorter than the
The Elf-woman named Ash is the leader of the free slaves. average Northman, sallow of skin, and heavily built. The
She is not an Elf of Mirkwood, and does not speak of her Woodmen mock him, calling him halfling, half-man. They
past. She endured centuries of torment in the pits of Dol are careful not to say this to his face, for Valderic is quick
Guldur — she was captured by the Enemy uncounted to laugh, but quicker to anger. He has long felt attracted by
years ago, long before the Watchful Peace, to wring a the Shadow, and since the fall of Dol Guldur he has twice
precious secret out of her. Now, it is in the power of the dared to enter the fortress to look for relics and treasures.
Elves to perish when faced with terrible torment, for Some whisper that Valderic has been able to learn sorcery,
they shall be reborn in the Undying Lands. Ash chose to and that he can now command the spirits of the dead.
remain — out of love for the wild lands, or out of pride, Certainly, his chariot is decorated with the skulls of his
none can say. The Wood-elves suspect that her sufferings fallen foes, and strange lights can be seen at night glowing
drove her mad. Great power is in her, but also great within his wagon.
anger and sorrow.

Ash Valderic

Elf Medium Human (Evil Men)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 17 (+3) 19 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)
Armour Class 18 (Leather Corslet, Shield)
Hit Points 45 (7d8+14) Armour Class 16 (Scale Hauberk, Shield)
Speed 30 ft Hit Points 60 (8d8+24)
Skills Perception +4, Performance +5, Shadow-lore +3 Speed 30 ft
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Quenya, Sindarin, Westron Saving Throws Wisdom +5
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Skills Animal Handling +5, Shadow-lore +4
Hard Eyed. Ash has won many battles and is an Senses passive Perception 12
accomplished warrior. She scores critical hits on a 18, 19 Languages Westron
or 20 on an attack roll. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Song of Lament. Ash may use her action to sing an Screamer. In battle Valderic taunts and curses his
otherworldly dirge. Though few can understand the enemies in a dark and unknown language full of malice,
words, the music calls to mind terrible tragedies and and all heroes who can hear him have Disadvantage on
great suffering. Anyone who hears the song must make their attack rolls.
a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or gain 1 point of
Shadow. Actions
Multiattack. Valderic makes two attacks with his axe.
Actions Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one
Broadsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage or 9 (1d10+4)
one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage slashing damage if wielded with two hands.

Reactions
Snake-like Speed (Recharge 5-6). Valderic seems
preternaturally aware of opponents and can use his reaction
to halve the damage on a melee attack if he is the target.

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N PMotivation: I was meant for great things, do not defy me. otable laces

Expectations: +1 if the heroes speak of hidden secrets; -2 The Village of Stonyford
if they challenge Valderic’s authority
Stonyford, (Stánford in the language of the Vales) is the
Iwmud the Goatherd southernmost settlement of the Beornings beyond the Old
Forest Road. Here a stone tower once stood, and a ford to
Old Iwmud has tended the Woodman herds of the Vales cross the river. Of the tower only a pile of stones remain,
for many years. The Northmen of Mirkwood see anyone and the ford has long gone. (Stonyford and its inhabitants
who lives in the open as eccentric, and Iwmud is certainly are detailed in Wilderland Adventures).
that. He talks to the trees and the goats, and sings in his
own strange language to himself as he watches the herds. The Long Barrows
He also has a number of curious friends, foreigners from
distant lands who stay at his shack for a few nights before The Northmen of old laid their kings to rest in the Long
carrying on north or south. Barrows. These mounds crowned in simbelmynë, the
white Evermind flower, hold the honoured dead from
It is even said that Eagles can often be seen circling over the earliest days. It is said that the oldest mound is the
Iwmud’s home, although who can say if they are watching tomb of a great lord who led his people out of the north
him or guarding him? Iwmud is certainly more than he to settle along the Anduin and was counted among the
seems; he could be a secret agent of Gandalf — or a spy for Wise. Atop the barrows is a complicated arrangement
the Enemy. of earthworks and standing stones. Those who can
understand the movement of the heavens say that these
Motivation: I only show my true self to those I trust, stones form an astronomical calendar, and that the
everyone else sees a fool. changes of the seasons and the turning of the years can
be predicted by studying the stones and the shadows
Expectations: +2 if the heroes were instructed to seek they cast upon the land. At times of turmoil, the stones
Iwmud out; -2 if they try to force him to reveal his secrets. may even be used to predict the future by those with the
lore (normally such feats require a DC 25 Intelligence
Mansbane (Lore) check, but those with Ancient Lore require DC 15
only) to read them.
The creature known as Mansbane is probably a troll of
some sort, perhaps a Hill-troll that grew strong and fell in Stonehallow
the pits of Dol Guldur. No-one has ever seen it and lived,
but the devastation left in its wake is plain to see. The Stonehallow is an ancient fortification in the middle of
beast appears, ravages a settlement or a camp, killing the East Anduin Vales. It was once a Dwarven quarry, dug
everyone present, then vanishes into the night. Despite to build the Old Forest Road. The stone-hungry Dwarves
its apparent size, the best trackers have been unable to created a huge steep-sided gash in the hillside, and Men
follow its trail, as though the beast took to the air after later built walls along the edges of the gash and towers to
its atrocities. guard it. Now, it is a refuge for the Woodmen who cannot
reach the forest in time of war. The caves at the back of
Mansbane’s attacks have increased since Dol Guldur’s Stonehallow contain provisions, and the open space of the
fall; Radagast wonders if the monster was in the thrall old quarry is large enough to hold thousands of animals.
of the Necromancer, and now that its master is gone, When danger threatens, the herders drive their animals
the beast is free to ravage and despoil. It has never been through the gates of Stonehallow, then man the walls.
encountered in the forest, but has attacked the Woodmen
from the Nether Vales to the Forest Gate. The Woodmen always station a few brave warriors at
Stonehallow, to keep the place in good repair and to
Mansbane might possess several powerful abilities, such ensure that no outlaws or Orcs conquer the refuge and
as In the Sack with You!, Seize Victim and Thick Hide. deny it to them. By the standards of the Dwarves who
made the Road or the Men of the South, Stonehallow is

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The Lands of the River

like a child’s model of a defensive redoubt, but it serves its The Elftower
purpose for the Woodmen.
This lonely tower of ivory stone was once a watchtower
Pale Rider Caves on the road to the land of Oropher, the Elvenking, in the
days when the Woodland Realm extended over the whole
The Pale Rider Caves lie a short distance south of the Old forest. It was abandoned long ago, but so solid are its
Forest Road. The hills in this area are white and chalky. Old foundations or so powerful the spells that were laid upon
pits scar the surface of the hills, where the Dwarves and them that it still stands intact. For many centuries, sheep
later the Northmen dug for making lime. Some forgotten grazed inside its curtain walls and the tower was nothing
tribe of Northmen cut the image of a horse and rider into more than a strange landmark in an empty land, and
the side of a green hill, and that landmark is visible for people called it Elfengard.
miles around. Tales say that one day, the horse and rider
will come to life and ride to the aid of the Free Peoples. Two years after Dol Guldur fell, a strange Man took up
Today, though, the Pale Rider serves as a dire warning. residence in the tower. He claims to be the Necromancer’s
At the time of the Great Plague, a cruel king ordered that former apprentice, and a band of Orcs and evil Men serve
all those infected with the sickness be driven into the him out of fear, believing that he has inherited the power
caves and walled up, so their sickness might be contained of his dread master. He has tried to convince the folk of the
within. The ghosts of the angry dead still haunt the caves, East Nether Vales to serve him, but so far they have refused.
and the Woodmen say that the touch of a ghost brings the He has therefore turned his eye towards the Woodmen.
marks of the plague upon its victim. He fancies that if he could slay the wizard Radagast, then
surely the people of the wood would bow to him. For the
Field of Heroes moment his presence is unknown by most of those who live
in the Vales, but he will soon make his move.
The Field of Heroes is a flat, stony area in the south of the
Vales, near the path that leads to Rhosgobel. The Woodmen Gladden Fields
rarely fight pitched battles, preferring to hide within the
forest and ambush their enemies, but when they must As the River Gladden spills into the Anduin, it creates a
face enemies openly they do so here. Four times in living water-logged landscape of ponds, little slow-flowing
memory a force of Woodmen has met forces of the Shadow channels and marshes called the Gladden Fields. The
in battle here, and three times they have been victorious. In marshes are not especially perilous or unpleasant — this
the summer, the Woodmen practise fighting here, and hold land knew the Elves, long ago, and their blessing lingers
tournaments of arms, foot races, and archery. here. In summer, the fields become fields of gold and
streams of silver as flowers bloom on the banks and fish
New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: leap in the waters. However, travelling at speed through
Compete on the Field of Heroes the marshes is impossible. Those who choose not to march
(Woodmen only) around the marshes must either use a flat-bottomed boat,
or resign themselves to struggling in and out of sucking
Woodmen companions spending a Fellowship phase in mud.

any one of the Woodmen settlements of Mirkwood may These marshes have always been deserted. No great
kingdoms ever claimed the region, so it has always been
complete on the Field of Heroes to gain renown in front left to the poor and the forgotten. For much of the Third
Age, Hobbits lived in the Gladden Fields. Eventually, most
of their peers. The entry fee for the tournament is 5s. of them migrated over the mountains into Eriador, but the
Marshes were never wholly abandoned. As the Shadow
The hero must then make three DC 15 checks, using grew in Mirkwood, agents of the Enemy occupied the
Gladden Fields, driving out the existing residents. The
Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), and

Wisdom (Survival), and then two weapon skill checks

against AC 15. If the hero accrues three successes they

win 10s, four successes is worth 20s and five successes

wins 50s.

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presence of Orcs and other fell beasts has not diminished — legends speak of giant swamp boars as big as houses,
the beauty of this land, but make it even more dangerous. of slimy monsters lurking in brackish waters, of wisps and
Combat Scenery: bogs, briars, mud, patches of dry boggins and sneeps.
ground, shallow water, sucking bog, the stench of death
(only around the Dwimmerhorn or other blighted areas), Inhabitants
warm sunlight and a cool breeze from the south (only on
clear summer days) River-folk and Woodmen do not live in the Gladden Fields,
but they do camp along its edges when fishing or bird-
Gladden hunting. There are several hillocks in the region that
Fields make good camping grounds, as the ground there is dry
and solid. Other humans do live in the fields — outcasts,
Holes of the hermits and trappers for the most part, as well as fugitives
Wild Hobbits from the East Nether Vales who fled Dol Guldur.

E Orcs and Goblins dwell in the central part of the marshes.
E Low mists cloak the Gladden Fields at times, and the
Orcs use them to hide from the light of the sun. The Orc-
Dwimmerhorn chieftains always have trouble keeping their followers in
line in the marshes; fishermen often find Goblins floating
face-down in the streams.

The Woodmen also have legends of the Tree-people, a race
of men who they believe lived in Mirkwood before them.
The Tree-people are said to be gnarled and brown-skinned,
resembling old men and women even in their youth. They
can turn themselves into tree-shape, and in this form are
almost indistinguishable from the trees around them. If
you are very clever and very lucky, you can spot the faces
of the Tree-people peering out of the bark. Stories say that
most of the Tree-people left Mirkwood when the Shadow
fell upon it, and migrated across the Anduin to the
Wolfswood and the Gladden Fields. Woodmen passing
the Gladden Fields on the way to the Mountain Hall point
at particularly human-looking trees and wonder if they
sometimes walk.

Wildlife Wild Hobbits of the Anduin Vales

Fish thrive in the shallow waters of the Gladden Fields Description, Names and Starting Attitudes
feeding on insects and worms wriggling through the mud.
Many species of bird also nest here — a loud noise fills Wild Hobbits dress in simple outfits of spun cloth or
the sky with startled birds. Otters burrow in the muddy crudely cured furs. In contrast to the round, cheery faces
banks. of the Shire Hobbits, Wild Hobbits are often gaunt and
serious. Wide, wild eyes are sharp and untrusting, and
There are a few dangerous creatures in the marshes. Grim their bodies are rarely plump – save for elders who have
Hawks stalk through the reeds in the east of the Gladden earned a place of admiration among their kin. They always
Fields, while the middle reaches of the river are home to carry simple tools of survival, most often fishing tackle
Swarms of Poisonous Snakes and fat black blood-sucking and simple hand tools, and move about the watercourses
leeches. The brownish waters may conceal stranger beasts of the Vales of Anduin on little boats of reeds.

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The Lands of the River

Wild Hobbits take many of the names used amongst the Wild Hobbit Traits
Woodmen and Beornings. In the Shire such names are
oft considered old-fashioned and ‘Heroic’, but the Wild Your hero derives the following traits from their ancestry:
Hobbits shorten and simplify their names in regular use
(‘Gary’ for Garivald, for example) and do not use family Ability Score Increase — Your Dexterity score increases
names. by 2 and you may increase any two other ability scores
by 1.

Wild Hobbits are Unknown to most other Cultures, and Adventuring Age — 25-60. Wild Hobbits value family
look Askance at most visitors other than their cousins and above all else and have a deep and abiding distrust of
the Éafolc (they are Friendly towards both). outsiders. Those who venture out are either young and
taking desperate chances or have had some calamity
foisted upon them. Around their fiftieth year, even the
most ambitious Wild Hobbits think seriously of finding a
hidden refuge and attending to their family’s needs.

Size — Like their civilised kin, Wild Hobbits are Small.

Speed — Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Untroubled by Shadows — When in a blighted area,
you must make a DC 5 Wisdom saving throw to avoid
Shadow instead of the regular DC 15.

Hobbit Nimbleness – You can move through the space
of any creature who is at least one size larger than yours.

Clever Beyond Compare — You have proficiency in either
the Investigation or the Riddle skill.

Hobbit Elusiveness — You have proficiency in the Stealth
skill.

Languages — You speak the Vale of Anduin tongue,
an archaic version of Westron that is also spoken by
Beornings and Woodmen.

Standard of Living Cultural Virtues

Wild Hobbits have no room in their hard lives for the Despite their great distance from the comfortable lands of
burdens of useless items and are ranked as Frugal. the Shire, the Wild Hobbits are very similar to the settled
folk there. A Wild Hobbit may select any of the Hobbit
Bonus Equipment: A travelling cloak of mottled green Cultural Virtues starting on page 108 of the Player’s
and brown, travelling gear for the current season, a Guide. But they also have their own traditions, and many
sturdy dagger, 2d6 silver pennies, plus choose any one: Wild Hobbits are Vexing Riddlers of the highest order.
fishing tackle, a hunting trap or a large smoked and
salted fish. Cultural Heirlooms

Wild Hobbits can sometimes be found in the possession of
a Barbed Fishing Spear. However, they can also select the

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Rhovanion Region Guide

other Hobbit Heirlooms found on page 159 of the Player’s Notable Characters
Guide. You should work with the Loremaster to rework the
Heirlooms to fit their origin within the Vales of Anduin. Arciryas, Servant of Saruman

Wild Hobbits of the Anduin Vales Arciryas is a man of Gondor. He was once a Master
Cultural Virtue: Vexing Riddler Healer in Minas Tirith, and learned the arts of herbalism
and chirugery in the Houses of Healing. His curiosity led
He knew, of course, that the riddle-game was sacred him to consult old, musty scrolls in the archives, scrolls
and of immense antiquity, and even wicked creatures that spoke of the atrocities and evil spells worked by the
were afraid to cheat when they played at it. Enemy. Arciryas saw many warriors of Gondor who were
wounded by Orc-poison and other devices, and believed
Riddle-craft is a respected tradition among your folk he could heal them if only he learned their secrets. When
and is commonly used to pass the long nights in the his research could go no further, he went to the Tower of
river-burrows. You know well the ancient laws that Orthanc and consulted with Saruman the White, who had
govern riddling, and you are capable of spinning himself long studied the arts of the Enemy.
riddles that can vex even the keenest listener. You twist
words and conceal intent with great skill. If it falls Arciryas, Servant of Saruman
to you to make introductions in an Audience, you may
use Riddle instead of Traditions if the nature or goals Medium Human
of the Company must be kept secret. Additionally, you
can challenge others to the ancient riddle game. If STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
you do so, make an opposed skill check and if you are 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)
successful then you gain Inspiration. You must take a Armour Class 11
long rest before using this ability again. Hit Points 33 (6d8+6)
Speed 30 ft
Wild Hobbits of the Anduin Vales Skills History +5, Medicine +5, Shadow-lore +7
Cultural Heirloom: Barbed Fishing Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Westron, Sindarin
Spear Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Cunning Speech. If Arciryas has a chance to speak,
The Hobbits of the Anduin Vale are expert fishermen then any intelligent foes within earshot must make a DC
and craft excellent barbed spears of reed and wood to 13 Wisdom saving throw or suffer Disadvantage when
capture their prey. You are the bearer of one such attacking him.
spear, and it serves you well in your hunt for sweet and Master Healer (Recharges after a short or long rest).
juicy fish. With it, you are able to pull a fine meal from If Arciryas spends time with a hero, he can either heal 13
even the most unlikely waters. When you are serving (3d8) points of damage, or remove one condition from
as a Hunter on a journey on or near a watercourse or the following list: Frightened, Paralysed, Stunned or
lake, you may elect to automatically pass a Survival Unconscious.
check that results from a hunting Journey Event (for
example, a result of 2 or 7 on the standard Journey Actions
Events table). If you do so, you are considered to have Poisoned Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach
rolled a number that would produce a result equal to 5 ft, one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) poison damage and the
the DC of the check. target loses 2 (1d4) additional poison damage from blood
loss at the end of each its following turns, unless it spends
an action to staunch the wound.

Arciryas never returned to Gondor. Today, he lives in the
Gladden Fields. He is a student of herb-lore, and says that
the medicinal properties of the many plants that grow
in the marshes must be catalogued. He is devoted to his
work, spending long days wandering the wilderness,

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poking under reeds with his long white staff. He travels Byrgol is a brave Hobbit. He found a sword in a wrecked
south to Isengard every few months to report to the boat — it’s really more of a long knife — and stole it. He’s
White Wizard. Sometimes, he suspects that Saruman has proved surprisingly successful in battle — a well-placed
another purpose in mind for him, beyond searching the stab from below has emptied the guts of more than a few
fields for herbs and roots. The people of Mountain Hall Orcs.
know of Arciryas, and call upon his expertise for wounds
that they cannot heal. Motivation: To reclaim the Gladden Fields.

Motivation: I will prove myself to my master, and Expectations: +1 if the heroes have recently fought the

Saruman’s regard is all that matters Enemy; -2 if they don’t respect his abilities.

Expectations: +1 if the heroes have news of strange things Notable Places
in the Gladden Fields; -2 if they challenge his wisdom
The Dwimmerhorn
Byrgol
The fortress of Dwimmerhorn stands on a huge stone that
In the Gladden Fields, a brave Hobbit is usually a dead rises from the waters of the Gladden Fields like the half-
Hobbit. This is not the Shire, protected by Rangers and buried skull of some primordial titan. There is only one
Wizards — this is the Wild. If a Hobbit is caught by an Orc safe path that winds around and up the steep sides of the
or even a Man, his fate is likely to be a grim one. Therefore, rock to the fortress above, and that path is guarded by
wise wild Hobbits hide in the undergrowth when the Big Orcs and Wargs.
Folk go by, and stay almost invisible in the shadows.
The fortress is — or was — an outpost of Dol Guldur,
Byrgol established hundreds of years ago to aid in Sauron’s
search for the Ring. Now, renegade Orcs and evil Men
Small Hobbit inhabit it.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA The Dwimmerhorn is an evil place. The Necromancer’s
10 (+0) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) servants built a dread temple atop the rock, dedicated to
Armour Class 16 (Leather Corslet) the dark powers, and the land around it is tainted by its
Hit Points 39 (8d6+16) presence. If Sauron ever recovered his Ring, then this taint
Speed 25 ft would spread over all the world. The fortress atop the
Skills Perception +4, Riddle +5, Stealth +6 Dwimmerhorn features in Wilderland Adventures.
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Westron Holes of the Wild Hobbits
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Art of Disappearing. Byrgol can Hide with perfect The villages and holes of the Hobbits are long abandoned
success. He is considered to have rolled a 20 on any and waterlogged, inhabited only by badgers and voles.
Stealth checks. Some were still in use up until relatively recently. The
Region-lore (Gladden Fields). If Byrgol is with River-Hobbits were never as wealthy or sophisticated as
the Company for a journey that begins or ends in their cousins in the Shire, but they collected curiosities
the Gladden Field, the Guide rolls 1d8+4 for the and trinkets from Wilderland.
Embarkation Roll.
Stealthy. Byrgol can use his bonus action to Hide. Gollum said that his Grandmother had ‘many Elven-
rings’, and while this was doubtless a lie, there may be
Actions magic treasures left in the mud of a half-collapsed Hobbit
Multiattack. Byrgol makes two attacks with his short pantr y.
sword.
Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.

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West Nether Vales Wildlife

The desolate plains of the West Nether Vales seem The western region is especially empty of life. A traveller
endless on first sight. Even from the heights of the Misty might spot a coney, or a crow, or maybe a sullen bear
Mountains, the Anduin is only a distant ribbon of silver, in one of the little woods. To the east, where the land is
and many leagues of emptiness lie in between. The east richer, there are grazing herds of wild horses and cattle, as
portion makes for good grazing or farmland, but the farms well as deer and the wolf packs that prey on them.
of the Northmen that once stood here were swallowed up
by the grass long ago. The western wold is a landscape of Inhabitants
small wooded thickets and limestone hills rising up to the
granite of the Misty Mountains. Once, this region was the granary of Khazad-Dûm, the
great city of the Dwarves under the Misty Mountains. Many
West Nether Northmen worked the land as land-tillers and herdsmen,
Vales and provided the Dwarves with food in exchange for
their work as builders, smiths and miners. They lived in
scattered homesteads, until the Dwarves helped them
build a town close to the mountains that they named
Dwarrowhall. The town and the surrounding farms were
abandoned in the years after the fall of the mines — once
Khazad-Dûm was deserted, there was no market for the
Northman farmers, and they diminished, as many struck
out east and north in search of new homes.

The Old The Ford of Today, the Orcs are the only permanent denizens of
Dwarf Road the Leofrings the West Nether Vales. They have secret lairs in the
mountains, guarding the approaches to the Redhorn Pass
E E and the Firiengate, the other passage that crosses the
Misty Mountains at the source of the River Gladden. They
E Dwarrowhall rarely come into the lowlands except when commanded
to do so by some greater power.
The Lady’s Garden
In years past, the Northman tribe known as the Leofrings
E lived in this land, but Orcs from Dol Guldur attacked and
drove them away into the south. Since the Battle of Five
Armies, a few of them have returned, and more migrate
north every year. They fear the enchantments of the
Golden Wood, so they come up along the Dimrill Dale.

Notable Characters

The Gladden marks the northern border of the West Arnulf the Leofring
Nether Vales. To the south, the land climbs towards the
stony highlands of the Dimrill Dale, or enters the tree- Arnulf was one of the survivors of the attack on
shrouded valley of the Golden Wood where no traveller Dwarrowhall in 2940. His whole family was slain — or
dares go. worse, captured — by the Orcs of Dol Guldur. The loss
drove him mad. Unlike the other Leofrings, he does not
Combat Scenery: boulders, cold winds, crags, old walls, travel the Vales of Anduin during the year; instead, he lives
ravines, scattered rocks, slopes, thickets, warm golden sun. in the ruins of Dwarrowhall, sharpening his spear-point
and plotting revenge. Ghosts beset him, and sometimes
Arnulf is a danger to anyone who comes too close, for he

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The Lands of the River

The Leofrings

The people of Leof are close kin to the folk of Rohan. They are descended from followers of Eorl who strayed during
the migration south. They are nomads, wandering through all the Vales of Anduin in search of good grazing for
their herds. Unlike most Northmen of the Vales of Anduin, the Leofrings have preserved their ancestors’ superior
horsemanship, a skill so legendary that the Dwarves once thought the Éothéod were half-horse, half-men.

The Leofrings have a great dread of forests, especially Mirkwood, and consider it bad luck to walk beneath the
trees. They travel in cohorts of a dozen families or so, led by a headman. These cohorts wander through the Vales,
travelling as far south as the borders of Rohan and as far north as the Gore, but they all return to Dwarrowhall
for the yuletide every year. Most of them dwell west of Anduin. In years past, they were friends of the Woodmen,
but as the power of Dol Guldur grew, some of the Leofrings chose to bow before the Shadow and traded with the
folk of the East Nether Vale. They sold horses to them, and some Leofrings even entered into the service of the
Necromancer. Then, a year before the Battle of Five Armies, a host of Orcs attacked the Leofrings as they gathered
at Dwarrowhall, and they fled the North.

may mistake them for Orcs or spectres of the dead and Arnulf knows the ruins better than any other Leofring, and
attack them. At other times, he welcomes enemies of the has discovered a network of Dwarf tunnels under the city.
Enemy to Dwarrowhall. These tunnels are mostly clogged with earth and fallen
debris, but he has excavated some of the ones around his
Arnulf the Leofring home and uses them to sneak around the ruins.

Medium Human Motivation: To make Orc-kind pay for their evil

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Expectations: +1 if there is Dwarf in the Company; -2 if
17 (+3) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) the heroes make light of his suffering
Armour Class 14 (Ring-mail)
Hit Points 31 (7d8) Haldir of Lórien
Speed 30 ft
Skills Investigation +4, Shadow-lore +4, Stealth +3 The Elves of Lórien dwell deep in the Golden Wood, and
Senses passive Perception 11 have little traffic with outsiders. There are still a few of
Languages Westron them who leave the forest to gather news and watch for
Challenge 2 (450 XP) enemies. Haldir is one of these. He is one of the few Elves
Ambush. During his first turn, Arnulf has Advantage on who speaks the Common Tongue fluently. Sometimes, he
attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn. visits the camps of the Leofrings or the River-folk with his
If he scores a melee critical hit on a target in this turn, that brothers Rúmil and Orophin, for there are some among
target is knocked Prone. them who welcome Elves. These are not Elf-friends, but
simply good-hearted people willing to bring the Elves
Actions news from the outside world.
Great Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 9 (1d12+3) piercing damage Motivation: To keep the Golden Wood safe and its
borders secure
Reactions
Deadly Spear-Thrust. Arnulf may use his reaction to Expectations: +1 if there is an Elf in the Company; -2 if
make a single melee attack against a creature that has there is a Dwarf or the heroes speak ill of his masters
just attacked him. If he inflicts a critical hit with this
ability, the target is knocked Prone as the blow strikes a
knee or other joint.

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Rhovanion Region Guide

Haldir of Lórien few Men. The Leofrings are not a numerous people, and
when they stay here they fill less than half the town.
Medium Elf
The great granaries once used to store food for the
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Dwarves of Moria are now hollow ruins, but some of the
15 (+2) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) small stone houses that the Northmen built with the aid of
Armour Class 17 (Leather Corslet) Dwarf stonemasons are still mostly habitable.
Hit Points 85 (10d8+40)
Speed 30 ft The walls encircling Dwarrowhall are also mostly intact;
Saving Throws Dexterity +8, Wisdom +5 the Leofrings have filled the few gaps with piled stones,
Skills Investigation +5, Perception +5, Stealth +8, as they cannot repair the Dwarven stonework. They also
Traditions +5 built a wooden gatehouse to defend the entrance to the
Senses passive Perception 15 town, as well as an enclosure for horses outside the walls,
Languages Westron, Sindarin, Quenya for the riders are not comfortable riding along the narrow
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) cobbled streets.
Elven Cloak. Haldir has Advantage on any Dexterity
(Stealth) checks to hide. While hidden, any Wisdom Dwarrowhall was plundered by Orcs several times in its
(Perception) checks to find him are made with history, and there is no treasure or beauty left in the town.
Disadvantage. It is a place of shelter, nothing more.

Actions
Great Bow of the Golden Wood. Ranged Weapon
Attack: +8 to hit, range 150/600 ft, one target. Hit: 9
(1d8+5) piercing damage. Haldir may use his bonus
action to grant himself Advantage on his attack roll. If
Haldir rolls a 18, 19 or 20 he has scored a critical hit.
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft, one
target. Hit: 7 (1d4+5) piercing damage

Notable Places

Dwarrowhall

Dwarrowhall lies in a mountain fold north of Dimrill
Dale. The town once thrived, but is now home to only a

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The Lands of the River

The Ford of the Leofrings Dale. The fortress rises from the eastern foothills of the
Misty Mountains, and is mostly intact, for Dwarf-wrought
The Ford of the Leofrings is a sheltered spot where they stone endures long after its builders departed. Orcs out of
cross the Great River. When the River is low, the horses can Moria sometimes use the fortress as a base for raids into
swim across the waters in moderate safety. At other times, the West Nether Vales or Lorien, but dare not dwell there
the Leofrings use low-sided rafts that they push across the for long, out of fear of Dwarven ghosts that are said to
river with long poles and ropes. The Leofrings have little haunt the fortress.
love for the water, and fear the river’s wrath.

However, crossing points for horses and wagons are few The Lady’s Garden
and far between on the Anduin, so they guard this ford
with all their might. Even when most of the Leofrings are The Lady’s Garden is a region on the edge of the Golden
away in the south, they always leave a few warriors here Wood. A stream flows out from the mountains and tumbles
to secure their claim on the Ford. Agents of Dol Guldur down into a sheltered dell, where many strange and
watch the ford closely and report any large movements beautiful flowers grow. This place was clearly inhabited
to their masters in the forest. Travellers from Dol Guldur at one point, for there are carved benches and paths of
use this place to cross the Anduin without trespassing into crushed white stone. A single seat, like a throne, sits in the
the land of the Beornings. In the years before the fall of centre of this curious garden. In times past, it is said that
the Necromancer, many ill-favoured folk gathered here, the Enchantress of the Golden Wood received visitors here
and the Leofrings feared they would attack the ford. Now, and wove her spells upon them. The Elves of Lórien rarely
without the power of Dol Guldur to threaten them, the stray from their home deep in the woods, but the Lady’s
Leofrings are once again secure. power lingers. No evil thing may enter the Garden.

The Old Dwarf Road East Nether Vales

The Dwarves built the fortress of Dimrill Watch to protect Some lands are blessed by those who dwell in them, like
the last stretch of the ancient Dwarf-road that ran from the lands of the Elves, and some are made wonderful by
the east gate of Moria north to the Old Ford and then on long toil, like the cities of the Dwarves. Others, though,
to Mirkwood. Few traces of this road survive, although a are naturally blessed with fertility and temperate weather
traveller may sometimes happen onto an oddly straight and beauty. The Shire of the Hobbits is one such place.
ridge in the wilderness and follow it for a time. Dimrill So too are the East Nether Vales — of all the lands of the
Watch still stands on the northern border of Dimrill

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Rhovanion Region Guide

river north of Rauros, these regions are perhaps the most only when a storm blows down from the north. On stormy
beautiful and the richest. days, it is as though two giants made of lightning and
thunder strive against each other, one on the west side of
Many wars were fought for their possession; these Vales the river and one — darker and more terrible — reaching
were part of the Kingdom of Rhovanion, and were then out of the east.
conquered by the Wainriders out of the East. Later, the
attacks of the Balchoth were so vicious that the Nether Combat Scenery: bogs, incessant buzzing (along the
Vales were wholly depopulated and abandoned, but in river), lone trees, mud, nettle banks, scattered rocks,
the centuries that followed the victory at the Fields of slopes, thickets, torrential storms, webs
Celebrant, they were re-colonised. Unfortunately, these
new settlers soon fell under the shadow of Dol Guldur. East Nether
The dread fortress of the Necromancer lies only a few Vales
miles within the forest, and its darkness leeches into the
surrounding territory. Those who stayed here were forced E Isildur’s Field
to choose — swear fealty and pay tribute to Dol Guldur,
or leave. Today, people still dwell in the East Nether Vale; Kingstone E E The Toft
in fact, this might be the most densely populated part
of the Vales of Anduin, although that says little in these
empty times.

All those who live here, however, chose to bow to the
Shadow. The beauty and bounty of the land seems
unnatural, and all that they achieve is somehow empty.
Most of the inhabitants live in a village called the Toft, in
a land of wooded hills and fertile plains. The Toft supplied
many of the needs of those who dwelt in the fortress of
Dol Guldur when the Necromancer was there. Now that
the Hill of Sorcery is empty, the folk of the Toft look to
the future with trepidation, for they have become used to
servitude and dread.

The northern region, near Rhosgobel, is called the Run, Wildlife
and it is an empty land. It looks welcoming at first glance,
but bands of Orcs often emerged from the Narrows of the The western Vales are home to cattle and horses, as well as
Forest to despoil it. Now, the land is claimed by the men thousands of swans in the marshy Neck running along the
of the Tyrant’s Hill, a fortress that lies just inside the forest east bank opposite the Gladden Fields. That region is also
eaves (see page 120). home to alarming Swarms of blood-sucking or stinging
Insects that rise up in huge clouds to beset travellers.
West of the Run is the Neck. A ridge of steep-sided hills The wandering Erringmen carry fire-pots full of stinking
dominates this land, running between the Forest and incense when they must pass through this region.
the River. Marshes pool at the feet of these hills. It was
here that Isildur fell in battle, and the Ring was lost in the
waters of the Great River.

The southern toe of the land, closest to Lórien, is called The southern Vales show something of the taint of
the Strifelands. No men dwell here. Huge flocks of crows Mirkwood. Many animals in that region have jet-black
fur or feathers. Huge black cats prowl the grasslands and
circle endlessly over the broken, rocky landscape, save

66

The Lands of the River

prey on the sheep and cattle of the folk who dwell here. Those living outside the Toft dwell along the Great River,
(Sometimes, they also prey on children and lone travellers, near the Ford of the Leofrings. They paid no tribute to
but it is well known that a man who pays proper tribute Dol Guldur, and suffered many raids and other evils as
to the Necromancer is safe from animal attack, for all the punishment. They are a doughty but unfriendly people,
wild beasts in this land are in his thrall). and consider all outsiders to be potential foes. They do
not welcome strangers to their territory.
The eastern edge of the Vales are even more dangerous,
as creatures from Mirkwood prowl here. Boars, bears and Notable Characters
even some spiders can be seen in this land; all of them
black as night, except for the spiders that glow with an Gárhild the Fox
unnatural luminescence like rotten moonlight.
Gárhild was a spear-woman of the Woodmen of
Inhabitants Rhosgobel. She lived in Mirkwood for many years,
battling Spiders and Orcs and other things of darkness
The folk of the Toft are of Northman stock, although they alongside her kin. Through her heroism, she won the
are mixed with Easterling blood. They are a sedentary trust of Radagast. He sent her as a spy into the East
people, living in their village and farming the land. Nether Vales, where she has dwelt for more than ten
The shadow of Dol Guldur lay over them for many years. He gifted her with a magical cloak that allowed her
generations, and they were inevitably changed by it. to take on the shape of a red fox to aid her mission. She
Those closest to Dol Guldur were wholly committed to watched the movements of the Necromancer’s servants,
the service of the Necromancer. They sent their sons and and helped lead the White Council into the forest to the
daughters to serve him as slaves, they freely gave tribute gates of Dol Guldur. Now that the Necromancer is gone
to him, and they worshipped him with vile and terrible and the Shadow partially lifted from the forest, Gárhild
ceremonies in the dead of night. Others gave tribute only has put aside her sword and magic cloak. She married a
grudgingly. They tried to forget Dol Guldur as they went man of the Toft and now lives with her family on a small
about their lives. For them, tribute was a necessary evil, farmstead just south of the Run. None of her new kin, not
and life in the Necromancer’s realm was like living beside even her children, know of her previous life, nor do they
a snow-laden mountain. One day, the mountain must know about the broadsword and cloak concealed in the
inevitably stir and the avalanche would then kill them thatch of her farmhouse.
all, but that day might be many centuries away, and
until then the mountain was a safer place than the wild. Motivation & Expectations: In her new life, Gárhild
The Necromancer had a legion of spies and informants shares the views of other farmers (see page 71 of the
among these people. Loremaster’s Guide )

Subjects of the Necromancer

The Necromancer was not a king. He did not rule the East Nether Vales. Those who dwelt in this land never saw him.
He was an invisible dread presence, an unseen force that dominated their lives. Rarely, agents of the Necromancer
would emerge from the forest to demand some particular tribute, but many years would go by without any contact
with Dol Guldur.

Visitors to the East Nether Vales would see no signs of the Necromancer’s influence on the people. The folk of the
Toft did not carry the Necromancer’s symbol on their shields, nor did troops from Dol Guldur patrol the borders of
this land. Traders from Gondor — and there were many visitors from the south in days gone by — saw no sign of the
shadow here… but the Shadow saw them. Jealous eyes watched every visitor, and their numbers and movements were
reported to the Necromancer’s spymasters.

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Rhovanion Region Guide

Gárhild the Fox enemies not because he is a tyrant, but because it is
necessary for progress and civilisation.
Medium Human
Vidugalum is exceedingly old for a mortal man. Maybe
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA he counts men of Númenor among his ancestry and
15 (+2) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) so he remains vital and alert despite being more than
Armour Class 14 eighty. His sons did not inherit his longevity though, so
Hit Points 38 (7d8+7) he has no clear heirs to receive his burdens. Of late, his
Speed 30 ft thoughts have turned towards the fabled sorcery of the
Skills Investigation +4, Shadow-lore +4, Stealth +6, Necromancer, who was said to be able to prolong the life
Traditions +5 of his servants…
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Westron Motivation: It is my destiny to be a king of Rhovanion,
Challenge 3 (700 XP) and for the Toft to grow into a trading town like Lake-town
Fox-cloak (1/day). Gárhild may take the shape of a
fox. In this form she has 4 (1d6+1) hit points and can Expectations: +1 if the heroes agree that the ends justify
use her action to make a bite attack (+6 to hit, reach 5 the means; -2 if the Company has an Elf or objects to
ft, 1 piercing damage). If slain in this form, she does not Vidagalum’s methods
transform back.
Warrior’s Charge. Gárhild gains Advantage on all Notable Places
attacks made in the first round of combat.
Isildur’s Field
Actions
Multiattack. Gárhild makes two attacks with her Tradition holds that this place is where Isildur, son of
broadsword. Elendil and heir to the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, fell
Broadsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, in battle with the Orcs. For some years, it was a place of
one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage. pilgrimage for warriors who came here to remember the
great victory over the Shadow, and its cost. Men of Gondor
Reactions built a monument here, but nothing remains of it now.
Snake-like Speed (Recharge 5-6). Gárhild is adept at
avoiding injury and can use her reaction to halve the
attack damage on an attack that she is aware of.

Vidugalum, Lord of the Toft The Kingstone

With the power of the Necromancer broken, old Vidugalum Once, this land was part of the Kingdom of Rhovanion, the
is the most powerful leader in the region. He commands realm of the Northmen. This kingdom fell as all the works
the loyalty of dozens of men (as well as a brigade of Orcs of mortals do, but some traces remain. The Kingstone is
that fled Dol Guldur) and has a wealthy and well-defended a small pillar of rock sitting atop a low hill overlooking
fort in the heart of the region. the Anduin, facing west. On top of the pillar is the skull of
a great beast — a Dragon, some say. Legends tell how all
Vidugalum sees himself as a practical and learned the princes and warriors of Rhovanion swore oaths upon
man. He has read many books and studied the histories the stone before embarking on adventures or wars. Other
of the kings. When the Necromancer was in power, stories claim that the Dragon will roar when touched by
Vidugalum bowed to Dol Guldur, but now that he is free, hand of the true king of the Northmen. The touch of many
he intends to seize power himself and become a chieftain hands has worn the skull smooth, for it is a tradition for
like Beorn. He considers questions of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ visitors to put their sword-hand upon it for luck.
to be the mewlings of cowards and weak men who let
their consciences cow them into inaction. Heroes, in The Toft
Vidugalum’s eyes, are those brave enough to overcome
their doubts and fears. He uses his Orcs to strike at his The Toft is one of the largest towns in Wilderland — which
means it is much smaller than Lake-town or Dale, but has
several hundred souls live within its earthen ramparts.

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The Lands of the River

Most of the buildings in the Toft are wooden, though a few goods and furs to market here in summer. There is an inn
are old stonework built by men of Gondor. Just outside the here, the Ram’s Head. The keeper of this inn is a formidable
town is a large market field that is little used, for traders old woman whose family are kin to the Erringmen; when
from the south no longer come here in great numbers.
angered, she shouts and hurls insults in a dozen different

tongues from north and south and east.

Vidugalum’s house — a fortified tower, surrounded by

mounds and ditches — lies to the east of the town. His men,

who bear the symbol of a red sun on their shields, patrol

the roads around the Toft. Some of the men are Thugs,
others Outlaws (see pages 73-75 of the Loremaster’s
Guide).

In years past, certain people in this town worshipped
the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, and offered him slaves
and sacrifices as gifts to curry favour. Travellers claim
that children went missing in the Toft with alarming
frequency, and that there are secret tunnels and cellars
beneath the rough wooden houses. The defeat of the
Necromancer put an end to these practises, but they may
begin again should the Shadow return to Dol Guldur.

Merchants from Rhovanion and Lake-Town sometimes The Power of the Kingstone
make the trek around the southern edge of Mirkwood to
visit here, and a few ill-favoured Woodmen bring carved Touching the Kingstone is said to bring good fortune
and can inspire a hero to strive beyond all limitations.

If the company’s path crosses the ancient site, a
companion may spend Inspiration to regain a number
of Hit Dice equal to half their Proficiency Bonus,
rounded up.

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Rhovanion Region Guide

- The Greatest - Mirkwood is a wild wood, much more changeable than
of the forests other forests like Fangorn or Lothlórien. The first Elves
passed through the oldest sections of Mirkwood in the
...Beorn in his deep rolling voice told tales of the First Age of the World, long before the Sun and Moon
wild lands on this side of the mountains, and climbed into the heavens, but other parts of Mirkwood
especially of the dark and dangerous wood, are fresh, new growth that encroaches on what was once
that lay outstretched far to North and South a farmland. The forest is ever-shifting, unpredictable; it is
day’s ride before them, barring their way to the new and old at the same time.
East, the terrible forest of Mirkwood.
History of Mirkwood

The sheer size of Mirkwood is almost beyond imagining for Elves were the first to live here, and the first to name it Eryn
the people who live along its borders or under its boughs. Galen, the Greenwood. They dwelt in its dells and groves.
From its northern border facing the steep slopes of the In time, they gathered under the rule of an Elvenking,
Grey Mountains, to its southern edge near the Brown
Lands is a distance of more than four hundred miles. who built his hall on a great hill rising naked as an island

among the sea of trees.

At its greatest width, this sea of trees is some two hundred These Elves were a simpler folk than the Elves of Doriath,
miles wide. A traveller foolish enough to try crossing the delighting in wine and song and the hunt. They had little
forest lengthwise would take six months or more to make love for outsiders even in those days: they were suspicious
such a journey — assuming he survives, which is unlikely of the powerful Dwarf-lords of Moria, and even resented
even for a seasoned wanderer. Mirkwood is the dark heart the intrusions of their kin across the Great River. Men,
of the Wild. too, dwelt in the woods, although they lived chiefly on the

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The Greatest of the Forests

edges, hewing trees for fuel and timber. The kingdoms of a great army south to face the Enemy. In that war, the
Men never last, though, and the wild wood endured. For Elvenking was slain, and with him two thirds of those who
long centuries, Greenwood was home only to Elves and followed him. In that time, Thranduil became King of the
beasts and outlaws. Silvan Elves, and he led the survivors of his army back to
the shelter of the trees.
The Greenwood was little troubled for many years, even
as war and turmoil swirled through the wider world. The Woodland Realm
Mortals lived and died in their petty kingdoms, and the
Silvan Elves danced on the green grass under the stars Wearied and embittered by sorrow, the new Elvenking
and hunted in the deep places of the woods. It was not built a fortress and great hall north of the Dark Mountains,
until the latter portion of the Second Age that the first under the hills on the banks of the Forest River. The old
inklings of the Shadow came to Mirkwood. The Enemy palace in the south was abandoned, and the settlements
returned to his fortress in Mordor and made war on the in the mountains were used only lightly. The Elves looked
Free Peoples. Fearing the growing strength of the Dark to the east, trading with the Men of the Long Lake and
Lord, the Elves gradually drew back their borders. First, Rhovanion instead of their cousins to the west. They
they made their home in the woods and vales north of the also traded with Dwarves for gold and gemstones, for
ancient Dwarf-road, and then retreated further north, to Thranduil always had a great love of beautiful things.
the slopes of the Dark Mountains. Evil things had come to
nest there, and prince Thranduil distinguished himself as For many years, the idylls of the Elves resumed. It was
a warrior of great prowess by slaying the Great Vampire of as though time stood still in Greenwood, paused in an
the Emyn Duir. endless feast. A thousand years passed. Then, the Shadow
first reached Greenwood. It began as a subtle change —
In time, it became clear that retreat would offer no safety. the gloom beneath the trees deepened, paths became
The Elves of Greenwood joined the Last Alliance, sending more treacherous, the animals more aggressive. Soon,
Men who lived in the southern eaves of the wood spoke

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Rhovanion Region Guide

of strange sicknesses among their herds of kine, of bad borders of their guarded realm. They preferred to trade,
dreams and worse omens, of fell whispers on the wind. as they do now, with those Men who lived further north,
Newborn animals had hides or fur as black as night, and near the Lonely Mountain.
the fruit that grew on trees turned dark and foul-tasting.
New saplings unfurled a canopy of pitchblack leaves. As the numbers of the Northmen grew, so too did their
Eerie mists twined around the boles of the trees, and men hunger for wood. The great forests of the south-east, which
started to call the forest Mirkwood. had hitherto escaped much of the corruption of the rest of
Mirkwood, were cut down so the Northmen could build
The Silvan Elves found their forest growing unfriendly to more of their great longhouses. Some of the Northmen
them. Their hunts could no longer range as far, and the clans practised good forestry, but a growing number cut
branches of the trees clutched at each other to block out the trees down and burnt out the roots to clear the land
the starlight the Elves loved. Around the year 1100, the for pasture. As the Bight grew, pressing upon lands still
Wise learned that an evil power of great strength and claimed by the Woodland Realm, there was strife between
malice now inhabited the ruins of the old elven fortress Men and Elves beneath the trees.
in the south, and sent word to the Elves warning them of
the danger. Among the Elves, some whispered that the Northmen
might be in league with the Necromancer. Many Northmen
Orcs and worse things gathered in the southern part of saw the Elves as nothing but dangerous wood-spirits,
Mirkwood. Poisonous vapours and eerie lights were and accused them of stealing children and bewitching
reported, and sinister rumours spread about the dead travellers. Fear and suspicion grew on both Sides.
walking under the shadows of the trees. Over the bald
hill once inhabited by Elves now arose the fortress of In the winter of the year 1635, a terrible plague appeared
Dol Guldur, and its unseen master became known as the in Wilderland and then spread south in the following
Necromancer in the tongues of men. months. The cold forced people to huddle together in the
longhouses or perish, and the disease spread in those
The idylls of the Elves ended. Hunts became patrols, and cramped conditions. Many tales told of travellers braving
feasts became councils of war. Thranduil was loath to the snows and arriving at a longhouse of their kin, only
make war upon Dol Guldur — nor could he had he wanted to find a hundred corpses inside the silent hall. In some
to, for the Necromancer’s strength didn’t reside in armies places, eight or nine out of every ten died.
or strongholds, but in sorcery and witchcraft, and against
such fell weapons the Wood-elves had but little power. The The Northmen were severely diminished. Some tribes fled
Elves protected their borders as best they could, but soon the plague by hiding in the deepest parts of Mirkwood,
they became a people under siege. where they fell under the spells of the Necromancer or
perished. Others endured as best they could, or abandoned
The Northmen & The Bight their halls to move north, or west and then along the vales
of the River Anduin. The Woodland Realm alone didn’t
It was in this time that the Northmen of Rhovanion grew suffer from the plague, and the Elves continued their
in strength and number. Most of these were descendants eternal hunting and feasting inside Thranduil’s sanctuary.
of those Men who in ages past entered Beleriand and
fought alongside the Elves in their wars against Morgoth. Dark Times
They chiefly made their homes in the eastern eaves of
the forest, but being great riders and breeders of horses Hit severely by the disease, the southern kingdom of
they ruled the wide plains between Mirkwood and the Gondor reduced its watch over its borders, eventually
River Running. These folk were the ancestors of many who allowing strangers from the lands to the East to pass into
today dwell in the North, and their blood is the blood of Wilderland. In time, the number of these strangers grew,
Dale and the Woodmen, and of the Horse-lords of Rohan until the day when a confederation of evil Men crossed
too. The Elves of Mirkwood did not trust these Northmen the frontiers in arms, sensing the weakness in the defences
at the best of times, and tried to shy them away from the of the West. The coming of the Easterlings brought war to

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The Greatest of the Forests

Wilderland and the Southlands for years on end, and In the year 2063 of the Third Age, Mithrandir the Grey
heralded a time of growing darkness. Pilgrim, called Gandalf by some, dared to enter Dol
Guldur, and walked the halls of that dread citadel where
All across Middle-earth, the forces of the Enemy slowly none but the servants of the Necromancer had been in a
awoke. Among a long string of dire events, the last vestiges thousand years. The Necromancer withdrew, fleeing and
of the north-kingdom of Arnor fell after a long struggle hiding in the east, and the horrors of the Hill of Sorcery
against the Witch-king of Angmar, and the great city of the subsided for a time. There were still all manner of fell
Longbeard Dwarves under the Misty Mountains was lost creatures — Orcs, Wood-wights, Spiders, Vampires and
when they unleashed Durin’s Bane upon themselves. such monsters — in the southern portion of the forest, but
the retreat of the Necromancer robbed them of their guiding
Even the Elves of Lórien were troubled by this new threat, hand. Divided, they could not hope to defeat the Elves. This
and some left the Golden Wood hoping to find sanctuary time was known as the Watchful Peace, and was a time of
inside the Woodland Realm, but were unable to pass the great prosperity for the Woodland Realm. The borders of
shadows of Dol Guldur and so turned south. the Elf-Kingdom moved south again, even to the Old Forest
Road. Thranduil gave thought to opening up the road once
For those who dwelt in Mirkwood, the fall of Moria and more, but chose caution instead, and a new road was
the northern kingdom of Men meant that the Old Forest cut through Northern Mirkwood. Some brave Elves even
Road was now in danger. The Dwarves built it many ventured south towards Dol Guldur, hoping to reclaim that
centuries before, to hasten traffic between their western place from the Necromancer’s taint. None returned.
and eastern settlements. The Silvan Elves tolerated it’s
making, because of the friendship between the Dwarves of In the west of the wood, a group of Northmen settled again
Moria and the Elves of Hollin, but only grudgingly so. The in the shadow of the forest. They raised a long-house there,
Dwarves maintained the road for many years, aided in and hung a curious lamp of elven-make from the roof.
later centuries by the Northmen. Now the Northmen were The Lamp of Balthi protected — and still protects — the
gone, and the Dwarves diminished. settlement from the horrors of the forest. The Northmen
prospered in the days of peace, and soon Woodmen-
For a time, the Elves tried to keep the road as their frontier town arose in the growing clearing. The Woodmen were
against Dol Guldur, but it was too far from their realm far from Thranduil’s kingdom, so there was little trade
to be effectively defended. Now, only Orcs walked the between the two, but the Elves gave the settlers what aid
Dwarf-laid stones of the Forest Road, and parts of it were they could, so that they could prove worthy allies should
swallowed by the encroaching trees. Mirkwood became the Enemy return.
yet more perilous and trackless.
The Watchful Peace ended in 2460, when the Necromancer
Erebor & The Watchful Peace returned to Dol Guldur. Again, Orcs besieged the
Woodland Realm. Other horrors attacked Woodmen-
Before the Dwarf-road was finally abandoned, refugees town, and only the light of the Lamp of Balthi kept them
from Moria crossed Mirkwood and founded a new home at bay. Nonetheless, many Woodmen retreated north,
in the roots of the Lonely Mountain. There, they found just as the Elves did more than a thousand years before,
gemstones and gold, and Thrain I became their king. and built a new sanctuary in a well-defended place called
Other Dwarves travelled to the Dwarf-holds in the Grey Woodland Hall. In the north, attacks by Werewolves,
Mountains. Vampires and other horrors forced the Elves to abandon
the settlements in the Mountains of Mirkwood.
The Woodland Realm found itself hemmed in on two sides
by Dwarves, and though there was little love between the Fire and Ice
two races, the Dwarves also traded with the same folk who
brought wine to the Elvenking’s table. In this fashion, all In response to the return of the Necromancer, Galadriel
three free folk — Elves, Dwarves and Men — found common of Lórien called upon the Wise to gather. This first White
cause for a time on the fringes of Northern Mirkwood. Council united the most powerful Elf-lords of Middle-earth

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Rhovanion Region Guide

with the secretive Wizards. King Thranduil was invited, the Misty Mountains in search of fortune, while others
but refused — perhaps because he mistrusted Galadriel clustered around Radagast, who offered them shelter. The
and her ambition, or perhaps because he feared that if Dol Woodmen became his agents and aides.
Guldur was provoked, the first and most dolorous stroke
would fall on the Woodland Realm. The year was 2463, and In 2758, the Long Winter struck the North. Mirkwood
the Wise agreed to set a watch on Southern Mirkwood. All escaped the worst, although many trees in the north of
three Wizards spent many years in and around the dark the forest were frozen by the relentless winds, and the
forest, spying on the doings of the Necromancer. In time, Woodmen of Mountain Hall survived only by great fortune.
Radagast the Brown made his home in the woods, and Gandalf travelled to the west, to Eriador, and Saruman to
became the permanent watchman over the Hill of Sorcery. the south, leaving Radagast and the Woodmen to continue
the vigil over Dol Guldur.
Though the Necromancer dared not move with the
Wizards so close at hand, Mirkwood was troubled by other The Dragon of Erebor
foes. Dragons crawled down from the Withered Heath
to seize the gold of the northern dwarf-holds, and some The coming of Smaug in 2770 brought the destruction of
worms crept into Mirkwood itself. The surviving Dwarves the Kingdom under the Mountain and the end of the realm
escaped to Erebor and the Iron Hills to nurse their wounds of Dale, and placed a dire threat upon the very threshold
and plot revenge. The Elves, troubled by the passage of so of the Elvenking’s halls. Had Smaug stirred himself, the
many Dwarves across their realm, closed the Elf-path to Dragon might have destroyed the Woodland Realm just
travellers. as he brought desolation upon Erebor. Still, Thranduil
chose not to antagonise the Dragon, and the Forest Road
The Woodmen grew slowly in strength. The protection remained barred to Dwarves and foreign Men (that is why
of the Wise gave them some confidence against the Thrain II, son of Thror and father of Thorin Oakenshield
forces of Dol Guldur, but they still suffered greatly from was captured in Mirkwood and hauled off to Dol Guldur
the predations of Orcs and other creatures of darkness. — he tried to cross the forest via the old road, and was
Of all those who dwelt in Mirkwood, they were always discovered by Orcs).
the first to suffer the presence of the Shadow. Their two
established settlements survived, but many other villages The strength of Dol Guldur grew. The Woodmen
were swallowed by the woods. Some Woodmen set out for encountered ghosts in greater numbers in the southern
woods, and Orcs dared trespass on the Elf-path. They

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The Greatest of the Forests

harried Elven hunting parties, and scouts were even Regions of Mirkwood
spotted near the Elvenking’s Halls. Gandalf came to
Rhosgobel in 2850 to visit Radagast. That summer, he It was not long before they grew to hate the forest as heartily
dared enter Dol Guldur for a second time, and discovered
that the Necromancer was in truth Sauron, the Enemy who as they had hated the tunnels of the goblins and it seemed to
was believed destroyed in the War of the Last Alliance.
offer even less hope of any ending.
The White Council met again in the following year, and
again invited Thranduil to join them, but their Woodmen To outsiders, Mirkwood is simply the forest. It seems to
messengers were ambushed and slain by Orcs, and so be an unending wilderness of dark trees with no paths or
word never reached the Elvenking’s Halls that the Enemy tracks to follow. If you go beyond the forest eaves and lose
was nearby. sight of the warm light of the sun, you may be swallowed
up and lost forever in the gloom. Those who dwell in
Had Thranduil known that it was Sauron himself who the forest, though, divide Mirkwood into several distinct
menaced the Woodland Realm, he might have joined regions.
Gandalf in urging a swift strike against Dol Guldur before
Sauron’s power grew too great to challenge. Instead, Elements of Darkness
the White Council continued to watch, and Mirkwood
continued to be a battleground between the Free Peoples From the stunted pines of the far north to the willows
and the servants of the Shadow. and beeches of the south, Mirkwood encompasses many
different landscapes, but they are all uniformly ghastly
It was not a war, but every year brought with it new tales and unwelcoming. The Loremaster may find it useful to
of woe. The Elves of the Woodland Realm redoubled their employ the following traits when describing locations
patrols, while the Woodmen grew ever more dour and fell- inside Mirkwood (the descriptors suit almost every region
handed in their ways. More and more Orcs slipped past of the dark forest, to a greater or lesser extent).
the Woodmen and scoured the Gladden Fields for the lost
Ruling Ring. No Light

Recent Years There are few gaps in the forest canopy overhead. Branches
cling together, and the dark leaves and hanging shrouds
The year of 2941 will be remembered as long as folk dwell of lichen block out the sun. Even at the height of the day,
in Mirkwood. The White Council met again, and gathered there is little light in the forest. The trees turn the bright
their powers to drive Sauron out of Dol Guldur. The sunlight into a darkened green glimmer.
Necromancer fled before the wrath of the Wizards, and
his fortress was abandoned. A short few weeks later, the Your eyes play tricks on you during the day, turning knots
Dragon died at the hand of Bard the Bowman, and the in the bark into leering faces or fallen logs into monsters.
kingdoms of Erebor and Dale were both renewed. At night, the forest is as dark as the deepest cave at the
roots of the mountains.
A bright new spring has come to the north, and the
promise of hope and light can be felt even beneath the No Fresh Air
mossy boughs of dark Mirkwood. The Elves are seen more
and more, neighbours have become friends, and many On the forest floor, a traveller is surrounded on all sides
good-hearted folk gather under the protection of Beorn by thick foliage, by clinging spider-webs, by gnarled
or Bard. The Woodmen look to the south, and the new branches and black trunks. Any wind that blows into
opportunities granted to them by the fall of Dol Guldur. Mirkwood cannot penetrate the depths of the wood.
The leaves far overhead might rustle with strange, eerie
These are the last good years. voices, but no fresh air reaches the upturned faces of the
travellers below. Inhale deeply, and your lungs fill with
the stench of rotting leaves, with choking spores and dust,
with unwholesome warm air. Mirkwood does provide
some shelter from extremes of weather — winters in the
forest are warmer, summers cooler — but there is so little

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Rhovanion Region Guide

air in the woods that a traveller might prefer to freeze in The difficulty of finding food in the forest varies as the
the open air than be smothered by leaves. Shadow grows. During the Watchful Peace, when the
Necromancer withdrew from the woods, it is said that
No Water huge herds of deer roamed the territory between the Old
Forest Road and the Elf-path, and many hope that this
The trees’ deep roots drink hungrily. There are few streams bounty will return now that Dol Guldur is empty again.
or rivers in Mirkwood; parts of Southern Mirkwood are When the Shadow grows, even plants that were previously
especially parched. Worse, most of these streams are edible may become poisonous or extinct.
foul and black, and have strange effects on those unwise
enough to drink from them. There are safe streams or No Paths
springs where a traveller can refill a water-skin and
quench his thirst, but only those who know Mirkwood There are only two major paths that cross all of Mirkwood,
well can find them. When it rains, the water cascades and the only paths in the rest of the forest are short, local
down through the leaves, gathering a bitter taste and a tracks near the Woodmen settlements or the Elvenking’s
brown-green hue as it falls. Halls, or the Orc-paths around Dol Guldur. A traveller who
leaves the path has few or no chances of finding another.
No Food You could roam the middle part of the forest for months
and find no trace of another living soul.
There is food in Mirkwood — if you know where to look.
There are fruiting trees, nuts, roots, plants and mushrooms No Life
to gather; fish and rabbits and squirrels and deer to
hunt. Finding food is difficult even for an experienced Mirkwood is crowded with all manner of creatures. A
adventurer. The Woodmen know better than to eat any traveller will certainly hear these creatures — the howling
black-furred animals within the forest, as their meat tastes of wolves, the scratching of squirrels in the treetops, the
foul, and they have learned which plants may be safely mocking croaks of ravens and the squeak of bats — but
eaten and which are poisonous. he may not see any sign of life for days. The animals

76

The Greatest of the Forests

blend into the forest gloom, becoming almost part of the The Evil of the Forest
darkness. Mirkwood is a primordial forest, unfriendly to
anything that walks on two legs. The endless darkness, the myriad trees, and the

No Hope overwhelming gloom of the woods wears away at a

Mirkwood is a green-black sea of trees, and a man may traveller’s good spirits. The evil of the forest saps the soul. In
drown in the forest’s endless undergrowth as surely as he
is dragged under by the waves. If you leave the path in game terms, this is represented by the growing Corruption
Mirkwood, and lack the woodcraft to find your way home,
you will perish there. The forest does not forgive fools. forced on travellers as they make their way through

Mirkwood. If a character suffers a Bout of Madness (see
page 183 of the Adventures in Middle-earth Player’s Guide)
while in Mirkwood, the following effects are particularly

appropriate.

Travelling in Mirkwood Running in Panic

Travelling across Mirkwood is across either Severe The character is seized by confusion or terror, and runs into
or Daunting terrain, with the exception of its Western the woods. If several characters succumb simultaneously,
Eaves where the Woodmen dwell and the terrain is the whole Company can be scattered and lost. A single
only Hard. Those with the Region-lore (Mirkwood) character who runs in panic might blunder into danger.
speciality may invoke it to roll 1d10+2 on their
Embarkation Roll. Quarrelling

Furthermore, while general travel in the forest may be The character nurses real or imagined grudges against
difficult, those who dwell in the forest may know local the rest of the Company. This is not as violent a reaction
routes and secret paths that are easier to follow — an as rage, but it does last longer. The character becomes
Elf or Woodman returning home from a short hunting snappish and withdrawn, and cannot gain Inspiration
trip does not need to use the journey rules. Instead until they have had a rest in a sanctuary.
reserve the rules for important and perilous missions
away from home. Hallucinations

The character believes he can hear voices in the treetops,
or sees faces leering out of the leaves. The Loremaster
should describe the character’s surroundings in a way
that plays into the character’s fears — if the character is

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Rhovanion Region Guide

hunting the Werewolf of Mirkwood, then the character extra food (say, by chasing a fleet-footed stag into the
might hallucinate howls on the night wind, the smell of woods, or stealing food from another traveller), he will
rotting meat and stinking breath, and think that every take it.
creaking branch and rustling leaf heralds the beast’s
approach. Northern Mirkwood

Sloth Northern Mirkwood begins in the foothills of the Grey
Mountains. Twisted pines grow from the flanks of stony
The character decides that the unreality of dreams is hills. The first trees are small, stunted and thinly spread,
preferable to the weariness or horror of the waking world. but from the heights a traveller can view the great forest
Why traipse through the forest until you drop dead of stretching out as far as the eye can see. The Forest River
starvation, when you can just close your eyes and dream plunges down from the mountains in a cascade of roaring
of a feast and slip peacefully into the sleep of death? waterfalls before vanishing into the woods. Its course is
A character in a bout of sloth refuses to move or to do flanked by birch, alder and poplar trees.
anything, and must be carried or forced to move.
The centre of Northern Mirkwood is a long low spur of
Mad With Hunger and Thirst hills, falling away on the west to the Vales of Anduin and
dropping sharply in the east to the Forest River valley.
The character is wracked by thirst and hunger pangs. He The hills are chalky and perilous, with many unexpected
will do anything to get food and drink. If the Company
are rationing supplies, the character schemes to take more
than his fair share. If the character has a chance to get

Northern
Mirkwood

The Roaring Falls

E

The Forest Gate The Spider’s Ring

E E

The Elf-path E

E The Enchanted Stream

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The Greatest of the Forests

ravines and cliffs. Caves in the upper hills are home to poison ivy slither around and between the tree-trunks,
bears and wolves. The hills are covered by firs and pines, looking for the slightest sliver of sunlight from above.
and none of the hills are clear of trees.
Combat Scenery: cliffs, fogs, hedges of tree limbs,
To the west, the hills roll gently down to the forest eaves. The ravines, roaring waters, roots, rotten trees, slopes, sucking
western portion of Northern Mirkwood is furthest from the bogs, webs
baleful influence of Dol Guldur, and a traveller can taste
the difference in the air. The trees are not so closely packed Wildlife
here, nor the gloom so deep. This is a lonely land, where
neither Man nor Elf nor Orc ever goes. The hunting is good In the north-west, the wildlife is that common to any
here, although the presence of great black bears and wolves wood: wolves, bears, deer, rabbits, foxes and the like. The
may turn the hunter into the quarry. The deer herds of the hilly region in the middle is home to smaller creatures
deep forest are most often encountered in this land. mostly, although the bears and wolves may winter here
in the caves. The Forest River valley is home to all these
The north-western eaves show signs of ancient forestry and creatures, especially the great black bears, but also
wood-cutting. These trees were used to fortify the villages snakes and a panoply of insects and crawling things.
of the Éothéod, a nation of Northmen founded centuries The southeastern part of the region has fewer bears and
ago by refugees escaping the ravages of the war to the east wolves, but many more Spiders.
(see The Horse-people, page 8). They lived mainly where
the rivers Langwell and Greylin meet, to flow into what Inhabitants
becomes the Great River Anduin, but built also along the
western edge of Northern Mirkwood. Herders of mighty Most of this region is uninhabited. The forest long since
horses, they left the area more than four hundred years swallowed the ruins of the old halls and villages that once
ago, when they were led south by a legendary leader, Eorl stood here, but the remains can be found if you know
the Young. where to look. If any of their descendants still live, they
may have taken refuge in the deepest parts of Northern
North-east of the central rise, the land falls steeply into Mirkwood. Certainly, elven scouts have found signs of
the lush Forest River valley. The soft stone gives way to habitation in the hills; perhaps the wild descendants
bogland and marshy soil, and the Forest River meanders of the vanished Northmen, or refugees from Southern
through fens. In the summer and autumn, thick fogs rise Mirkwood, or madmen or hermits who fear the growing
from the marsh making the river almost impassable. Shadow in the forest.
Winter brings a cruel frost to the exposed valley, and spring
heralds flash floods and wild water. The upper reaches of A few foresters living along the western fringe. These are a
the Forest River valley are extremely treacherous. Sucking cruel, hardy folk who do not share the same customs as the
mud pools big enough to swallow a horse and nests of Woodmen of Wilderland. They are said to be descended
vipers under crumbling cliffs await unwary travellers. from outlaws, and dislike trespassers. From time to time
they even dare to attack travellers entering the Elf-path.
The southern portion of the region, including the tongue The Beornings have a blood feud with these foresters, and
south of the Forest River that reaches all the way to the claim that they trade with Orcs in the hills.
Long Marshes, is dark and foreboding. This is a land of
oak and hornbeam, of pine and fir, of thorn and yew. Notable Characters
The forest thickens the further south and east you go,
becoming a tangled and impassable maze in places. The Forest Dragon

This is the true Mirkwood, where the ground is smothered This nameless dragon crawled out of the North three
in the leaf-mould of centuries and the sky is shrouded by hundred years ago, and dwells in a cave in the heart of
a green-black canopy. Small thorn-bushes and choking Northern Mirkwood. Some say her hoard was stolen from
the Dwarves, others claim she plundered a Northman
town that is now lost under the leaves. The dragon is a
long-worm, of the line of Scatha.

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The entrance to her lair is hidden behind a curtain of The Roaring Falls
moss, and is hard to find unless she recently hunted, in
which case the scars left by the dragon’s passage are plain The Forest River passes through seven waterfalls before it
to see. Thus far, no hero has dared go out to slay the Forest reaches the Long Lake. The Roaring Falls are found on the
Dragon, and she has not troubled the Woodland Realm edge of the Woodland Realm, where the river pours over
directly. Thranduil hopes that she has fallen into the long a steep cliff and plunges into a ravine. The sound of the
slumber of her kind, and that she will not awake again crashing water sounds like the roaring of a tremendous
until the ending of the world. beast.

The Forest Dragon awakens in The Mirkwood Campaign In ages past, the Elves built a tower atop the cliff, but this
and further information can be found in that guide. tower is empty and partially ruined now. Still, the Roaring
Falls are often used as a waystation by Elven border
Notable Places guards and scouts on their way west or north.

The Forest Gate The Lady Irimë, a noble of Thranduil’s court, once
prophesied that a great hero and a terrible monster would
The path of the Silvan Elves through Mirkwood begins one day meet their deaths at the Roaring Falls, tumbling
here, at this great arch of trees. The Wise can sense the into the churning white spray still locked in mortal combat.
power of the Elvenking in this place, for it is his magic that
keeps the path clear of cobwebs and other dangers. After The Enchanted Stream
the Battle of Five Armies, the Elves placed a watch on the
gate. A traveller may not see the elven sentries, hidden Today, the Enchanted Stream flows out of the Mountains
aloft in the trees, but they are there, vigilant and armed of Mirkwood and crosses the Elf-path through the forest,
with deadly arrows. but that was not always its course. Once, long ago, it
flowed south instead and joined with the Dusky River in
The Forest Gate is a good place to meet travellers and the Western Eaves.
merchants as they prepare for the journey into the woods.
It is also where the Elves of Mirkwood treat with the Further, it is said that Goblins fleeing the Battle of Five
Beornings; the two folk have little good to say about each Armies retreated into Mirkwood, only to find the Enchanted
other, but they are both enemies of the one Enemy. Stream flowing along the border of the Northern Dale-
lands.

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The Perils of the Stream The Stream springs from the spells of the Elvenking, and is
(mostly) under his control. Should he choose, he can make
Those who fall into or drink from the Enchanted Stream the Stream flow to any place in his domain, or command
risk falling under the water’s enchantment. A hero must it to shrink to a trickle or swell to a raging torrent. Many
make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, with the following Orcs who dared cross into the Woodland Realm returned
effects: witless and blind and dripping wet.

• A hero that fails the saving throw with a result of The Enchanted Stream is wilful and petulant, and does
a ‘1’ on the d20 becomes Unconscious. They have not always obey its master’s commands. It mostly flows
fallen into an enchanted slumber and cannot be in its proper channels, but sometimes it goes wandering,
awoken by normal means. Only the Elvenking (or leaving behind a dry river bed. The Stream cannot leave
powerful magic, such as a Word of Command or a the borders of Mirkwood, nor can it cross the Old Forest
suitable spell from a Wizard) can end the effect. Road.

• A hero that fails their saving throw with any other The Spider’s Ring
result becomes Unconscious and remains so for 1d4+2
days. Once awake, they can’t remember anything The Spider’s Ring was once a feast-hall of the Elves, but
since the last Fellowship phase. Despite being asleep, now only Spiders dwell here, and it is their closest colony
they receive no benefits for resting and actually gain to the Woodland Realm. Bilbo and the Dwarves had the
one level of Exhaustion. misfortune to blunder into this trap when they got lost in
Mirkwood. The whole clearing is covered in thick black
webs, darker and denser than any on the Elf-path.

• A hero that makes their saving throw with a natural The Spiders strung long ropes between the tallest trees,
20 throws off the enchantment but not without some creating a network of rope bridges high in the air over the
effort. They gain one level of Exhaustion. clearing. When they catch a victim, they drag him back here
and string him up to rot for a few weeks before they suck
• A hero that succeeds at their saving throw with any him dry. The corpses of deer and sheep and badgers hang
other result falls Unconscious for a single day. Upon from the heights, along with a few unlucky Orcs or Elves.
awaking, they have trouble remembering the last
few days. They gain no benefit from their magical The mucky floor of the Spider’s Ring may contain some
rest and increase their Exhaustion by one level. treasures dropped from previous victims — Spiders have
no use for gold or weapons, and consider them to be nasty

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hard things that might break a fang if bitten too hard. the Wood-elves dance and sing songs of the Elder Days.
The floor is also alive with uncounted millions of young The trees of this land are oak and beech and rowan, all
spiders, no bigger than a thumbnail, who feed on the beloved of the Elves. The Bower is well guarded by the
drippings of the prey. Elves, and no trespasser has passed its borders in an age.
Few mortals have ever visited the glades of the Bower, or
The Woodland Realm feasted by the light of stunningly wrought elven-lamps.

The Elvenking’s realm claims all the forest from the north- The eastern border along the Dalelands is a land of elms
eastern edge of Mirkwood to the Forest River. The northern and whitebeam trees, though there are also orchards and
part of his realm is a land of silent wooded hills and quiet stands of yew-wood for bows. During the Watchful Peace,
valleys, where no man goes. Even the Elves rarely travel to the Elves fortified this land.
this empty land save when they seek solitude or to listen to
the night-speech of the trees. Traditionally, this land is the The Wood-elves rarely raise towers or walls, so their
hunting forest of the Elvenking, but the horns of the wild fortifications are in the tree-tops and in caves under the
hunt have not echoed here in hundreds of years. The King earth — hidden in the thick black canopy of the forest are
hunts closer to his hall — but still, any mortal who shoots wooden platforms suspended between the trees, stacked
a deer in these lands is considered a poacher by the Elves. with arrows, supply caches of elven-armour and weapons,
and cleverly concealed sentry posts. Here, too, are eyries
Travel south, and the land dips into a vast bowl called and nests, for the Wood-elves have a great friendship with
the Bower. Here, in twilight clearings under the stars, birds, and use them as messengers and spies.

The Woodlan d
Realm

The Sentinel Oak

E

The Great Clearing E E The Lampmaker’s House
The East Gate

E

The Hall of the Elvenking E

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The Greatest of the Forests

South of the Bower, the Forest River runs black and swift especially numerous in the Bower, which is also home to
through the woods. Fed by waters from the Mountains a great many birds. Beavers and water-fowl live along
of Mirkwood and the Forest Hills, the Forest River swells the Forest River. Goats, sheep, small ponies and foxes are
as it runs through the Woodland Realm. Its banks are common on the eastern borders, especially in the hills. At
lined with osiers and willows, and long branches trail in night, swarms of bats from the Mountains of Mirkwood
the water. The Wood-elves can navigate these hazardous trouble the southern part of the Woodland Realm.
waters in their small boats, dodging hidden rocks and
choking weeds to row upriver. Of late, the Spiders have The land is no longer free of Spiders. For many years, they
managed to cross the river, and now spin webs across the dared not cross the Elf-path, but the Spiders established
flow to catch unwary Elves. a large colony somewhere in the middle of Northern
Mirkwood, and are now encroaching on the Realm. They
In the south-east of the Woodland Realm, the land rises crossed the River, although they are deathly afraid of water,
again into dark hills. It is here that the Elvenking’s Hall by weaving shimmering spiderweb bridges and throwing
is found, in a series of caves cut by the river in days of them across the river narrows. The Elves work to keep the
yore. The main branch of the Forest River winds through horrid creatures from overrunning the Bower; there are
a steep-sided valley, but there are other smaller channels great pits where they burn the bodies of slain Spiders.
and tributaries in the hills that make travel difficult. The
eastern edge of the hills descends into the Long Marshes. Inhabitants
The trees of Mirkwood continue for many miles — mostly
alders in this wet ground — but the edge of the Woodland Virtually all the Elves of Mirkwood make their home
Realm is marked by a great lonely oak on the last hill. here in the Woodland Realm. The rustic Wood-elves live
in platforms in the branches, or else in small houses or
Combat Scenery: fallen trees, hedges of trees, low boughs, even tents on the forest floor. Most live within three days’
pits, shallow slopes, thick-trunked trees, thickets, webs travel of the Elvenking’s Halls, but they are a wandering
people, passing at times into the north and west of the
Wildlife realm as whimsy takes them.The Wood-elves are, in the
Third Age of Middle-earth, the most numerous branch
The Woodland Realm is home to a similar range of animals of elven-kind. Unlike the Elves dwelling in Rivendell or
as the rest of Northern Mirkwood. Wolves and bears dwell even their cousins of Lórien, the Wood-elves delight in
in the wild north, along with deer and squirrels. Deer are simpler things, preferring merrymaking and song to the

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study of lore. Before the Shadow came to Mirkwood, the request — you have to make an appointment, and offer a
Wood-elves lived in sylvan bliss, feasting and hunting and suitable gift, and follow all the correct forms of address. He
singing and dancing as their hearts willed. Now, they must has a grudge against Dwarves, and considers most Men to
weigh feasting against vigilance, and hunt Orcs instead of be greedy, grasping trespassers. He respects only those who
stags. The Elvenking cannot afford to indulge his subjects’ have proven themselves brave enemies of the Shadow.
pleasures, and must draw them away from their twilight
merry-making to prepare for war.

While most of Thranduil’s subjects heed their king’s
commands, some Elves are loath to leave their play. They
delight in trickery, in bewitching or befuddling enemies
and strangers alike, and in petty-magics and illusions.
Indeed, they even leave the wood to play tricks on the
cottars and farmers of the Dalelands. See the section on
the Wayward Elves, on page 86.

Notable Characters

King Thranduil Thranduil’s primary goal is always to protect his people
and his kingdom. He fears being lured into a trap by agents
Thranduil rules over a people under threat. His subjects of the Shadow, so he is cautious and slow to act at times,
may dance and feast in the forest, forgetting the Shadow but when his path is clear he decides with great swiftness.
that hangs over them, but Thranduil cannot allow himself
to forget. He knows first-hand the suffering and sorrow Motivation: For uncounted years, I have kept my realm
inflicted by the Enemy, as he went to war with Gil-galad safe. I will not let it fall.
and his father, and saw many Elves and Men die in
battle. Together with the secret havens of Rivendell and Expectations: +1 if the Company has more than one
Lórien and the western realm of Lindon, his is one of the Elf of Mirkwood — the Elvenking prefers to trust his own
last Elvish kingdoms left in Middle-earth. He is a stern, people; +2 if the heroes bring a jewel or other precious
imperious king, unforgiving to his enemies, but kind and gift to honour him; -2 if the heroes imply that his kingdom
wise and fatherly to his people. He is a brave general, and is lesser than those of the Elder Days, or otherwise insult
strong. The Woodland Realm would be terribly weakened their host.
should he be wounded or slain, for it is the Elvenking’s
magic that keeps its paths clear and the Shadow at bay.

Thranduil can be met at his halls in Mirkwood, or feasting
or hunting in the woods. Greet him with courtesy and give
him all the respect due a king, and he will treat a visitor
fairly. If a visitor breaks his law (even unwittingly), scorns
his court or challenges his authority, then, well, Thranduil
has many cells in his dungeons. The Woodland Realm is
his kingdom and he is the master there. Any visitor, even
an Elf-lord of the West, must acknowledge Thranduil’s
lordly status within Mirkwood.

Thranduil listens to petitions at court or at feasts, but such
requests must go through proper channels. One does not
just walk up and bend the Elvenking’s ear about some petty

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Thranduil, King of Actions
the Woodland Realm Multiattack: Thranduil can make three attacks with
either his Bitter Spear or Woodland Bow.
Medium Elf Bitter Spear: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. On a critical
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA hit, the Elf-Lord deals an additional 7 (2d6) damage.
15 (+2) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 19 (+4) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) Woodland Bow: Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit,
Armour Class 18 (Elven-mail, see below) range 80/320, one target. Hit: 9 (1d6+6) piercing damage.
Hit Points 112 (15d8+45)
Speed 30 ft Reactions
Saving Throws Dexterity +9, Wisdom +7 Commanding Voice. The Elf-king can inspire his allies
Skills History +8, Lore +8, Perception +7 with his noble bearing and wisdom. Thranduil can use
Senses passive Perception 17 his reaction to utter a command or shout a warning
Languages Sindarin, Silvan, Westron whenever a non-hostile creature, that he can see within 30
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) feet, is about to make an attack roll or a saving throw. The
Elven-mail. The Elf-king’s corslet was made in another target adds a d6 Command Die to its next roll, provided
age of the world and is so supple that he adds his full it can hear and understand the message. A creature
Dexterity modifier to his AC. Furthermore, he adds +2 to can benefit from only one Command Die at a time, and
his AC for any attacks from a servant of the Enemy. creatures that possess Commanding Voice cannot benefit
Legendary. Thranduil may take two legendary actions from this effect.
each turn. Each legendary action allows him to either use Parry. Thranduil adds +4 to his AC against one melee
his Parry ability without using his reaction, attack with his attack that would hit him. To do so, he must see the
Bitter Spear or attack with his Woodland Bow. attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Stargazer. Thranduil’s ancient wisdom and insight aids
him when dealing with impatient mortals. Wisdom
(Insight) checks to discern the Elvenking’s thoughts have
Disadvantage.

Thranduil’s Ring

At times, Thranduil wears a ring of silver set with a glittering white gemstone upon his finger. Any who look upon this
ring can tell that it is magical. The ring was forged by Celebrimbor of Hollin during the Second Age of the World.

Sauron knows that Thranduil has a magic ring, perhaps even a Ring of Power. The Enemy knows that three rings
were forged for the Elven-Kings. One ring he guesses Gil-galad bore to war, and that ring is most likely hidden with
Elrond Half-elven. Another ring might be in Lórien, with Galadriel and Celeborn. The third ring, though... where is
that hiding? His spies tell him that Cirdan the Shipwright has no ring of power. Could the third ring be close at hand
in Mirkwood? In truth, Thranduil’s rings is but one of the lesser rings. Many such magic rings were made in Eregion
before the forging of the rings of power. Compared to the Three or the One, it is a petty thing — but it occupies
Sauron’s mind, and makes him wary of the Woodland Realm, and that is a magic beyond price.

The Crown of the Elvenking

Although Thranduil delights in silver and white gems above all other treasures, and despite the fact that his treasury
overflows with beautiful things, the Elvenking wears a simple crown of leaves. This crown symbolises his bond with
the Wood-elves. A new crown is made at the turning of each season. in spring, he wears oak-leaves and laurels, in
summer flowers. In the autumn, he wears berries and red leaves, and in winter a crown of frosted thorns and ivy.

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Thranduil as a Patron The Wayward Elves

The Elvenking is an excellent patron for those heroes Description, Names and Starting Attitudes
involved in The Mirkwood Campaign. Thranduil
favours those who are brave and clever; he wants The Wayward Elves are similar in appearance and dress to
trustworthy agents who can fight the Enemy’s plans other Elves of Mirkwood and can be mostly distinguished
without drawing evil down on the Woodland Realm. by their attitude — they devote themselves to the pursuit
He has little interest in affairs outside his wood, of pleasure and amusement. They play cruel tricks on
unless convinced that they might endanger his realm travellers in the forest, and sometimes even leave the
in the future. He has guided and protected the Elves of woods to harass the Bardings or folk of Lake-town. As
Mirkwood for many hundreds of years, and he has seen of yet their jokes have been harmless fun, but the wilder
other kingdoms fall — he will do anything to ensure the Elves grow, the less care they have for the safety of
that the Woodland Realm does not meet the same fate. mortals.
Thranduil will only be a patron for companies that
include at least one Elf, and is unlikely to favour any They see themselves as dedicated as any warrior to the
company that counts a Dwarf among its number. fight against the Shadow, but do not believe weapons of
war to be the strongest tools in their arsenal. They revel
in their immortality and eternal beauty, hoping it can be
a symbol of the grace and perfection that once existed in
the world.

Halbrech the Wineseller Male Names: Amras, Aredhel, Beleganor, Belegon,
Calanhir, Carmagor, Dagorhir, Durandir, Edrahil, Ellahir,
Merry Halbrech hails from distant Dorwinion, though Fincalan, Fuindor, Galdagor, Galdor, Hallas, Hirimlad,
he lives in Lake-town. He is one of the merchants who Ithildir, Lascalan, Linaith, Mablin, Malanor, Nauros,
provide wine for the Elvenking’s table. Halbrech’s father Orgalad, Pelegorn, Sargon.
Harod was a particular favourite of Thranduil, for he
had an excellent palate and could find the very best wine Female Names: Anwen, Arbereth, Berúthiel, Baraniel,
in each season. The House of Harod has long been under Calanril, Celenneth, Elnîth, Eraniel, Finduilas, Gilraen,
the patronage of the Woodland Realm. Halbrech’s ruddy Gilraeth, Gloredhel, Idril, Ioreth, Ivorwen, Lôrwend,
round face and feigned happiness hide a terrible secret. Lothíriel, Luindîs, Meneloth, Moriel, Morwen, Narieth,
Many years ago, a servant of the Enemy seduced him into Narniel, Orothêl, Tarandîs
telling her the secrets of the Woodland Realm. Halbrech
knew a great deal about the defences of Thranduil’s Standard of Living
Halls, and could guess at how many warriors served the
Elvenking. Like other Elves of Mirkwood, the Wayward Elves are
Martial and start with the same bonus equipment.
When the White Council drove the Necromancer from
Dol Guldur, Halbrech dared to hope that his ordeal was Wayward Elf Traits
over, and that the Enemy’s spies would never contact him
again. He made arrangements to destroy any evidence of Your hero has the same traits as other Elves of Mirkwood,
his treason. Halbrech plays a key role in The Mirkwood see page 43 of the Player’s Guide.
Campaign, so Loremasters wishing to make use of those
adventures should aid Halbrech in hiding his treachery Cultural Virtues
until the hour is right.
A Wayward Elf may select from the following virtues: The
Motivations & Expectations: Outwardly, Halbrech Call of Mirkwood, Deadly Archery, Elvish Dreams, The
expresses the traits of a Merchant, like those found on Speakers and Wood-elf Magic. The Call of Mirkwood is
page 69 of the Loremaster’s Guide. provided below, the others may be found on page 107 of
the Player’s Guide.

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Cultural Heirlooms Notable Places

In addition to the heirlooms on page 159 of the Player’s The Gates of the Elvenking
Guide, a Wayward Elf may also acquire Wine of the Dark
Mountains (see below). The main portion of the Elf-path ends where it crosses the
Forest River. A long avenue of trees marks the approach to
Wayward Elves Cultural Virtue: the river, and an elegant Dwarf-wrought bridge of stone
The Call of Mirkwood arches over the fast-flowing waters. Across the bridge is
a grassy slope lined with beeches, and the entrance to
They differed from the High Elves of the West, and the underground halls. For more on Thranduil’s Halls,
were more dangerous and less wise. see page 89. The Elf-path continues across the bridge,
climbing up to the west of the bridge and ascending by
You think your fate and that of your people should a steep staircase to the top of the hill. From there, the
be that of enjoying life to the fullest, as long as path winds through narrow valleys overhung with oak,
Mirkwood and the world endure. You accept the price crabapple and boxwood until it passes the Sentinel Oak.
of this choice: you will dwindle and fade until you To the right of the bridge, the Forest River crashes down
become a living memory, a fairy who lingers yet in another short waterfall to enter a small canyon. A smaller
the shadows of the trees. For the moment though, your stream flows out of a cave at the far end of the canyon to
fading just makes it harder for others to heed your join the river; this stream is used by the Elves to bring their
footsteps, or to see you when you choose not to be seen. boats, rafts and barrels onto the water.

You have Advantage on any Dexterity (Stealth) Opening Thranduil’s Halls as a
checks, no matter your environment. If you succeed Sanctuary
at your Stealth check, you may spend Inspiration. If
you do so, as long as you remain motionless, you are Companions who have entered the palace of King
Invisible. However, your fading does not go unnoticed Thranduil for the first time during an Adventuring
by other Elves. They will look Askance at you in any phase may spend a Fellowship phase as guests of the
social interactions. Silvan Elves. if they wish to return, all companions
must choose the Open Sanctuary undertaking (see
Wayward Elves Cultural Heirloom: page 201 of the Player’s Guide). But not everyone
Wine of the Dark Mountains is welcome here: all Dwarves and any heroes with
3 Shadow points or higher will be questioned by the
The Wayward Elves of Mirkwood favour a particular Elvenking’s guards every time they want to enter the
vintage of wine, a dark, filling beverage they distil halls and must pass a DC 10 Intelligence (Riddle)
from a secret vineyard on the lower slopes of the check: a failure results in the companion being turned
Mountains of Mirkwood. Drinking this potent wine away at the doors.
induces a cold, heartless fury, a sentiment that a
reckless warrior exploits to endure the stress of a fight. The Sentinel Oak

When you drink from the Wine of the Dark Mountains This ancient oak was planted by Thranduil’s father to
before a battle, you gain temporary Hit Points equal mark the eastern border of his domain. A matching tree
to twice the total of your Proficiency Bonus and your once stood near the Naked Hill in the far south of the
Constitution modifier. You must take a long rest forest. The Sentinel Oak has seen many ages of the world
before you can benefit from the Wine again. come and go, and is considered wise among its kind. It
is one of the livelier trees in Mirkwood, eager to speak to
those who know the tongue of trees.

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New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: Marshes. From there, a traveller can simply keep the bogs
Visit the Sentinel Oak at his right hand and keep walking until he spies the swans
rising from the Long Lake.
The Sentinel Oak is prince of the eastern half of
Mirkwood. in summer and autumn, it wears a crown In recent years, as the various Free Peoples of the North
of golden leaves; in winter and spring, a mantle of draw closer together, more and more merchants and
frost that glitters like diamonds cloaks the tree. The pedlars pass through the East Gate, and such trade
other trees of the forest obey and honour the Sentinel attracts brigands and thieves.
Oak, even most of those under the Shadow.
The Lampmaker’s House
A character spending a Fellowship phase as a guest
of the Elvenking may visit the Sentinel Oak and The Elf Ormal dwells in this white-walled house three
receive its blessing: during the next Adventuring phase days’ north of Thranduil’s Halls. He knows all the secrets
the Peril rating of any journey within Mirkwood is of lamp-making, and remembers lore from the Elder Days
reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0. that has been forgotten or lost by other Elves. No Wood-
elves are as devoted to the art of crafting as he is. In ages
past, he studied with Celebrimbor of Hollin, who forged
the Rings of Power. Ormal’s lamps light the halls of the
Elvenking.

The Great Clearing Ormal has the talent to re-forge broken items of power.
Should the adventurers be lucky enough to recover some
In the heart of the Bower, there lies a great clearing. This weapon or other relic of the Elder Days, Ormal may be
open greensward is more than a mile across; a cold pure able to help them repair it and master its powers.
spring wells up near one edge and a stream flows through
the clearing. White beeches stand like lamp-posts in a
ring around the centre. This is the feast-hall and council
chamber of the Elves of Mirkwood, where they can all
gather beneath the stars. Many Elves make their home in
the woods near the clearing.

New Fellowship Phase Undertaking:
Feast in the Great Clearing

When companions spend a Fellowship phase at
Thranduil’s Halls, they may go and feast in the Great
Clearing, and make merry with the immortal Elves.

During the following Adventuring phase, the hero
can remember that time of joy even in the darkest
moments. Whenever they gain a point of Shadow, they
also gain Inspiration.

The East Gate

The Elf-path ends much as it began, with an arch of
crossed oak-trees. It leads out to the north end of the Long

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New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: by Dwarven craftsmen from the north. The Dwarves
Study with the Lampmaker burrowed into the hillside, opening up new caves and
(Elves Only) delving high-ceilinged passages.

When companions are spending a Fellowship phase at To outsiders, the halls can be confusing, for they follow
Thranduil’s Halls, they may go and study under Ormal’s the natural flow of the water. There are a great many side
tutelage. An Elf who knows all the spells associated with passages and smaller caves and tunnels that jut off from
the Wood-Elf Magic virtue may choose this undertaking the main halls. In time of war, the entire population of the
to learn one of the secrets known by Ormal. Woodland Realm could find safety here.

• Blazing Elf-lights: You may now cause your The passages are lit by magic lamps or torchlight. The air
Elf-lights to blaze with a magical flare of great is clean and fresh, and the tunnels are not at all cramped
intensity. The effect lasts a number of rounds equal or confining (unless you find yourself in one of the many
to half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded up). While it cells, of course). See the map on page 90 and the following
is in effect, enemies may not use Denizen of the Dark keyed areas:
and any enemy with Hate Sunlight suffers damage.
1. The Magic Doors: These doors are enchanted by the
• Lamp of the Far Traveller: You learn the art of Elvenking, and obey his commands. He can make them
making crystal lamps that hold your magical light. open or close with a moment’s thought, and they swing
You may start an Adventuring phase lighting such a shut with astounding speed. Once closed, it would take
lamp with your magic at no cost. This lamp works like a rampaging dragon to break them open again.
a continuous Elf-lights spell, but its glow can be shut
out if needed. you can snuff the lamp out to dazzle 2. Thranduil’s Hall: Thranduil rules from this many-
foes, or to put someone into an Enchanted Sleep, as pillared hall. It is here that he receives ambassadors
per the normal Wood-elf Magic rules. The lamp then and hears pleas from his subjects, and it is here that
can be lit up again without spending Inspiration. his court gathers. Thranduil has many advisors and
dignitaries at his court — princes and ambassadors,
• The Light of the Stars: Ormal teaches you how to sages and poets, heroes and healers. Most are Elves,
bestow the blessing of Elbereth upon your magic. By of course. Only a few mortals, mostly visitors from
spending Inspiration, you may cause the light in your Lake-town, have ever been admitted to the halls.
Lamp to burn with the pure light of the stars. The Tapestries on the walls tell the stories of the deeds of
flare lasts for a number of rounds equal to half your the Elves in Middle-earth.
Proficiency Bonus (rounded up) and while it burns any
servant of the Shadow must make a DC 15 Wisdom 3. Feast-halls: The upper halls are used for feasting and
saving throw in order to attack you. Once The Light sport during the cold winter months, when the Great
of the Stars goes out, you must take a short or long Clearing is covered with snow. Other halls are used for
rest before relighting your Lamp. private meetings, councils and recitals of stories and
songs. One of the Feast-halls hides a secret passage
Thranduil’s Halls that leads out through an escape tunnel.

The Halls of the Elvenking began as a series of natural 4. Kitchens: The Elves of Mirkwood are excellent cooks,
caverns, dug by the river in the distant past. When Amon and can put a little magic into their food. Stags roast
Lanc was the capital of the Woodland Realm, the caves in roaring fireplaces, huge pots bubble and boil, and
were used first for storage, then as a hunting lodge. Early the enticing smell of fresh bread wafts from the stone
in the Third Age, Thranduil moved his seat north, and ovens. The Master of the Kitchens is one of the most
declared that the caves would become his new palace. important Elves in the Halls, and her word is law in
The Elves made the caves beautiful and bright, aided this domain.

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5. Bedchambers: Only a few Elves live in the Halls. mistreat their prisoners, not even Dwarves. Still,
Most of those who have rooms here are either knights these cells have stout doors and are hard to escape.
or nobles of the court, or servants in the palace. There There are many cells scattered throughout the halls,
are a number of comfortable guest rooms on this so that prisoners may be separated and questioned
level too. The bedchambers have wooden beds with individually. The Elves rarely take prisoners — only
mattresses and pillows filled with cloud-soft down. trespassing mortals are brought here. Orcs and other
Many Elves need not sleep as mortals do — they can things of darkness are dealt with on the spot.
rest their minds in the strange paths of Elvish dreams
while walking in the waking world, but sometimes 8. Storerooms: These rooms and the cellars below
they choose to rest for pleasure. contain great stocks of food and drink, enough not
only for the feasts of the Elves, but to withstand a
6. Elvenking’s Apartments: Thranduil lives in siege should war come to the halls. Here too are
these rooms when he is in the palace. When he is weapons and armour to outfit an army, including
off hunting, he usually leaves one of his sons as Dwarf-wrought swords and spears, talismans from
seneschal. The rooms are guarded night and day by Hollin and further afield, relics of lost Gondolin and
warriors of the Woodland Realm, for this is a land vanished Nargothrond.
under siege. Another secret passage winds down from
these apartments to the cells and vaults below. 9. Vaults: The treasure-vaults of the Elvenking are rich
in silver and gold, as well as gemstones. His hoard
7. Cells: The dungeons of the Elvenking are not is not as large as that of the other Elf-lords, for the
unpleasant as such places go — the Elves do not Woodland Elves are not miners and crafters like

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the folk of Eriador. Still, his wealth is fabulous by the as you travel east, and dips down then rises again when
standards of the north, and only the Dragon had a going north to south. The eastern part is especially hilly,
larger hoard. The vault is guarded by a magical door, and an unwary traveller can find himself lost in a maze of
like the ones that protect the entrance to the halls. Only box canyons and tree-covered slopes too steep to climb.
Thranduil knows the secret words that command the
door to open. Combat Scenery: cliffs, fallen trees, foundations, flooded
pits, hedges of trees, old walls, poison nettles, rotten trees,
10. Innermost Cell: This is where Thorin Oakenshield roots, steep slopes, webs
was imprisoned. It is an especially secure cell used for
important ‘guests’.

11. The Cellars: The Halls of Thranduil are part of a Western
natural cave system. The upper cellars are worked Mirkwood
stone like the rest of the halls, but if you keep exploring,
you soon find your way into the warren of natural The White Statues
passages and caverns beneath the halls. The Goblins of
the Mountains of Mirkwood would dearly love to find E
a way to tunnel into the cellars from below, but have
yet to find a connecting passageway in the depths of E E
the earth.
The Barrows of The Old Forest Road
12. Trapdoor: This trapdoor opens onto the underground the Northmen
stream that soon joins the Forest River. A complex
apparatus of ropes and pulleys lets the Elves lift cargo
off rafts on the river below. In fact, they could lift a
whole boat out of the river if needed. To return empty
barrels to Lake-town, they just drop them through
the trapdoor and let the current carry them back to
Esgaroth.

13. Secret Harbour: This cave lies at the head of the Wildlife
underground stream. The Elves keep boats and rafts
here. The current at the entrance to the cave is fierce In the west, there are squirrels and other small mammals,
and runs past jagged rocks, so only those who know and even a few wolves and deer. Bears live in the higher
the river well can bring boats in here. ground to the east. The marshy regions are home to a
peculiar breed of frog, whose booming croaks echo through
Western Mirkwood the forest at night. The frogs feed on the flies, of which there
are millions, including stinging ones and ones that suck
Western Mirkwood is a tangle of thick woodland. Many blood. The woodmen even tell of insects the size of small
parts of it are impenetrable — oak and hazel and thorn dogs who buzz through the air and nest in the treetops.
wound together with poison ivy and brambles. Other
parts are treacherously marshy. Streams run down off the Spiders infest the eastern part of the forest; their webs are
Mountains of Mirkwood and vanish amid the roots of the so thick in places that they drag down the trees with their
trees, turning the land into cloying muck. A valley runs
across the region from west to east, and the Old Forest
Road follows this course. The land therefore slopes up

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weight. The cunning Spiders have learned to use this to Geirbald fled Woodland Hall. Since then, he has lived in
their advantage, and can topple the trees down on tougher the forest as an outlaw. A dozen warriors joined him, and
foes. together the thirteen roam the deep forests, hunting Orcs
and Wolves. Their chief camp is in Western Mirkwood,
Inhabitants and they winter there. Some of Geirbald’s men are still
welcome in Woodland Hall and Woodmen-town, but
Western Mirkwood is virtually uninhabited. In the area others are ill-favoured men, or outlaws, or madmen.
north of the Old Forest Road, Men who give allegiance to
Beorn cut the trees for firewood, but they never stay inside The outlaws rarely prey on travellers or commit crimes.
the forest’s edge after dark. The Woodmen township They are called outlaws because they are not part of any
of Woodland Hall is located near the southern edge of the Houses of the Woodmen, and so are outside the
of this region, and the woods surrounding it are more law of society. Geirbald is an Outlaw Chief, and each of
wholesome than most inside Mirkwood. Long ago, the his followers count as an Outlaw, see pages 74-75 of the
Woodmen started to clear a wedge in the forest, to make Loremaster’s Guide.
it easier to travel to Woodland Hall. As the Shadow in Dol
Guldur grows, the Woodmen speak of clearing more land Motivation: I have committed a crime beyond forgiveness
in Western Mirkwood, or even of building a new town and will atone in my own way.
close to the Old Ford.

At the time when the Old Forest Road was crowded with Expectations: +1 If the heroes have fought orcs or wolves
travellers, several villages and large groups of farmsteads recently; -2 if the companions encourage Geirbald or the
appeared in this area, as the traffic along the road brought outlaws to rejoin the Woodmen.
Men to these parts. Most of them were Northmen, but
some few came out of the Southlands, from as far as the Joining the Brotherhood of Outlaws
realm of Gondor. These southerners brought with them
the art of building in stone; while these Men have long Companions with a taste for the dangerous life of
disappeared from Wilderland, the ruins of their works outlaws may be interested in joining Geirbald’s band.
remain, overgrown with ivy and broken by tree-roots. To join the Brotherhood, the characters must find
their camp and impress them in some way. This matter
Before the Battle of Five Armies, Orcs might also be could be the subject of an Adventuring phase. During
encountered in Western Mirkwood along the Old Forest the following Fellowship phase, the heroes must select
Road, but they fled after the battle at Erebor. Open Sanctuary as their undertaking (see page 201
of the Player’s Guide) and swear a binding oath to
Notable Characters aid their outlaw brethren. In return, the Outlaws will
assist the heroes without complaint, but will not join
Geirbald Kinslayer them on adventures or quests unless there is a clear
benefit to them.
Geirbald is a Woodman, of the House of Woodland
Hall. In years past, he was accounted a great hunter and Characters who join the Outlaws may read the secret
warrior among his people. On one hunt, the Werewolf of signs that Geirbald leaves throughout Mirkwood. If
Mirkwood attacked their company; young Geirbald bore the heroes are journeying within Western Mirkwood
a bitter hatred of the beast, and loosed arrow after arrow or the Western Eaves, an Outlaw Scout may make a
at it, hoping to slay it. Even when his companions were DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. If successful, they’ve
scattered and the beast leapt away into the underbrush, located one of the hidden Outlaw camps. These camps
he kept shooting until his quiver was empty. allow the heroes to benefit from a long rest while on
their journey.
The next morning, scouts found the body of Geirbald’s
younger sister lying in the bushes. One of her brother’s
reckless arrows killed her. Stricken with guilt and horror,

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Bofri, son of Bofur Bofri, Son of Bofur

This young Dwarf was sent by King Dáin to the Woodmen Medium Dwarf
of Mirkwood with a royal command. Bofri’s mission is to
examine the state of the Old Forest Road and determine if STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
it could be re-opened. Bofri is brave and clever, and eager 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
to see the world. He plans to live among the Woodmen Armour Class 14 (Ring-mail)
for a few years, learning the ways of the wood before Hit Points 26 (4d8+8)
exploring the Road and discovering which of the old keeps Speed 25 ft
and fortifications survive. Skills History +4, Perception +3, Survival +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Dwarven, Westron
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Map-maker. If Bofri journeys through lands he has
already surveyed, any roll of 3 on the standard Journey
Event table becomes a result of 6 instead as he steers the
group away from trouble and toward beauty.
Student of War (1/day). Bofri can use his bonus action
to gain Advantage on all attacks directed against a single
target as he studies their strengths and weaknesses on the
battlefield.

Actions
Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage.

Motivation: While my father is famous — a Dwarf of wealth Notable Places

and importance — someday my deeds will match his.

Expectations: +1 If the heroes have found remnants The Old Forest Road
of the Dwarf Road; -1 if they discourage Bofri from his
ambitions. The Dwarf-road (Men-i-Naugrim in the Elvish tongue) is a
wonder of the northern world. It runs for two hundred miles

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across the middle of Mirkwood, and is the dividing line long barrows stand beneath the trees. On certain nights
between the north and south parts of the forest. The road of the year, eerie lights flicker above the graves like little
was ten feet wide, and paved with stone. The western part candles. The Woodmen say that if you follow these lights,
of the road used stone brought from the vales of Anduin, they will lead you to buried treasure — or lure you into the
but the eastern portion was quarried in the Mountains of darkest reaches of the woods, then vanish, leaving you to
Mirkwood. The road was flanked on either side by a ditch die in some lonely glade.
for drainage and a raised stone embankment to keep the
forest back. The Dwarves built a waystation every twenty Some chieftains of these forgotten Northmen came to
miles. These were sturdy stone buildings with extensive serve the Enemy in life, a shame no living Man remembers
cellars and stables for ponies. They also built three larger today. But those who bent the knee before Sauron in life
keeps, one at either end of the road and the third roughly may also obey him in death, and those barrows are
halfway. The Westfort which once stood at the western haunted by hungry Wood-wights (See page 138).
end of the road is gone, as Northmen quarried it for stone
long ago. Most of the smaller waystations are either gone The White Statues
the same way or swallowed by the forest.
Deep in the western woods, a traveller may come upon a
The Dwarves laid mighty spells on the road to keep it strange sight indeed — a white marble statue of a woman,
whole and clear for travel, and there are long stretches standing amid the dark trees. Then, he glimpses another
where their works still hold sway. A traveller in the wood statue, and another, and another, men and women and
might stumble upon a section of the road that is still intact; children. All are so lifelike that it beggars belief. Some are
walking upon such a stretch of the Old Forest Road feels caught in a moment of terror; others stand calmly, staring
like advancing along a Dwarven tunnel — the stone-paved out at the trees. Despite the thick undergrowth around
floor is covered by dirt and leafmould and weeds, but no them, few of the statues are covered in moss or weeds.
plants have yet broken through the tiny joints between
the slabs; overhead and to either sides the trees grow so No-one knows who made these statues. Perhaps the
thickly together that they form a roof and walls. Such clear Dwarves carved them from marble cut from the Mountains
sections can provide a short cut through the woods, but of Mirkwood during idle evenings when they built the
they are often watched by unwelcoming eyes. Forest Road. The Woodmen whisper of an evil wizard
who cursed his enemies and turned them to stone; the
For most of the roadway, though, the forest has triumphed. Beornings claim that the statues sometimes move when
Trees colonised first the earthen ditches, and then broke no-one is looking.
through the paved surface. Roots dug through the stone,
then the foundations until they found the living earth The Mountains of Mirkwood
beneath. The only trace left of the road in many places is
an unusual discolouration of the underbrush. The tract of The Mountains of Mirkwood are also called the Dark
road traversing Western Mirkwood is mostly overgrown. Mountains, from their old name in the Elvish tongue. They
The Woodmen call it the Winter Trail, for its route is rise dark and desolate from the forest, and are divided
clearly visible in winter when the trees are bare, and shun into two parts — the larger group to the north that are
it as a haunted place. Orcs crossing Mirkwood usually the true Mountains, and the southern Haunted Hills. A
follow the road where they can, for much of the forest is as wooded pass divides the two, and the Old Forest Road
dangerous to their kind as it is to everyone else. runs through this gap. The trees in the pass are oak and
beech, but tall pines dominate the upland regions.
The Barrows of the Northmen
East, the mountains descend to rolling hills and mounds,
Other clans of Northmen once lived in these woods, before all cloaked in tangled pines and mossy willows. The land
those who dwell here today. Their names and deeds have grows progressively wetter as it approaches the southern
been forgotten, and weeds grow through the ruins of their marshes; weeds and vines hang heavy from the trees.
halls, but the land still holds their bones. Nine rows of

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The Mountains Combat Scenery: boulders, cliffs, hedges of tree limbs,
of Mirkwood rock edges, rubble, scattered rocks, thickets, and varied
slopes
Ruins of the Refuge
Wildlife
E
In the lowlands, especially towards the east and south,
E The Beacon Tower Spiders prey on squirrel and Orc alike. The Orcs — what
few there are left in Mirkwood, after the Battle of Five
Armies — stick to the Old Forest Road and the foothills of
the mountains. Spiders lurk on the road, but also string
their webs between the gnarled trees. Gore-crows nest in
the treetops, croaking their hateful songs.

The mountain caves are home to bats in uncountable
numbers. These bats leave their underground abodes at
night by the thousands, and spread out for miles against
the dark sky over Mirkwood, to reach the marshes and
hunt for insects and other prey. Some of the bigger bats eat
lizards, rabbits or even sheep — or so say the shepherds of
Lake-town. Vampires dwell in the deeper caves and among
the Elven ruins in the northern foothills. These horrors,
spirits from the Elder Days who wear the appearance of
bats, abhor sunlight, but go abroad by night to feast on
blood.

The peaks of the mountains are bald, and are snow- Wolves creep around the northern slopes of the
covered except in the height of summer. They are very mountains, but shy away from the west. Somewhere
treacherous; their rocky slopes conceal many deadfalls in that desolate tree-lined maze is the black lair of the
and narrow ravines. Landslides are not uncommon, as Werewolf of Mirkwood.
if the trees relaxed their grip on the soil and let it roll
downhill. The lowlands are just as hard to cross, as thick Inhabitants
weeds and clinging plants fill the forest floor.
No Free Peoples live in the Mountains of Mirkwood, or in
the surrounding woods. Elven hunters and scouts might

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cross the Elf-path and explore the wooded hills, fishermen Sauron could not tame the Werewolf, nor did he wish
might wander into the eastern eaves, but no living soul to. A stray beast was of more use to him than another
willingly dwells in this haunted land. Orcs once dwelt in obedient minion. The Werewolf’s attacks would draw
great numbers beneath the Mountains, but most of them attention away from Dol Guldur, giving him more time to
perished in the Battle of Five Armies. Slaves taken by these prepare. Through his sorcery, he taught the Werewolf to
Orcs in the past were imprisoned in the caves under the possess the body of a living wolf, filling it with the spirit’s
mountains, but with the crowning of a King in Dale, the power and malice. Since then, the Werewolf of Mirkwood
Goblins dare not cross the marshes. has roamed the woods, driven by its unquenchable
bloodthirst.
Notable Characters
The creature cannot be slain — or, rather, its body may
The Werewolf of Mirkwood be destroyed, but the spirit can then inhabit another wolf,
and another, and another. The Werewolf is a constant
The Werewolf of Mirkwood is an evil spirit in wolf-form. threat to all the Free Peoples in Mirkwood. The Werewolf
In the Elder Days, it prowled alongside Dragons and other of Mirkwood’s incarnated form is provided on page 113
fell creatures in the armies of the Enemy, and guarded the of the Loremaster’s Guide. Should the werewolf be slain,
gates of his fortresses. It feasted on the flesh of Elves and it rises again in a new body on the next moonless night.
Men, and grew large and strong and ever more ferocious
until no foe could stand against it in battle. The Ghost of the Forest

Sauron has sent three Ringwraiths north to reclaim
Mirkwood. Of the three, one remains in Dol Guldur,
and one serves as a messenger between Mirkwood and
Mordor.

The third Nazgûl’s role is to awaken all the evil things in
the wood and bind them to Sauron’s command. In this
time, the Nine mostly go abroad Unclad and Invisible,
and cannot be seen by mortals. Even the Wood-elves can
perceive them only as a creeping shadow.

The Ghost of the Forest is a thing of horror and darkness.
He is a whispering voice in the shadows, a chill in the air
that stops the heart, a weaver of malice. The Ghost flits
through Mirkwood, from Dol Guldur to the northernmost
trees, inspiring terror as he goes. He visits the Orcs in the
caves, bidding them march to Dol Guldur. He gathers the
Wargs, making them assemble in great packs. He goads
the Werewolf of Mirkwood to redouble its attacks.

Despite its strength, the Werewolf was destroyed. Elves of The Ghost does not neglect the mortal Men who live
old struck it with blinding light, and brought it down with within the forest. To evil Men, he is a shadowy presence
a hail of arrows and spears. Disembodied, the spirit fled that promises power if they do his master’s bidding. He
sightless and witless, and hid in the caves under the Dark whispers to the greedy and the weak-souled, sowing
Mountains. There it slumbered for many ages, until the dissent and hatred among the Woodmen and the
Enemy returned to Dol Guldur. merchants travelling to Dale and Lake-town. He poisons
the hearts and minds of good men, sapping their spirits
and weakening them.

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The Return of the Nazgûl The potential return of the Great Vampire is explored in
The Mirkwood Campaign.
"The dark things that were driven out in the year of the
Dragon’s fall have returned..." Notable Places

In the year 2951 of the Third Age, the Enemy Ruins of the Refuge
dispatches three of the Nine to Dol Guldur, to restore his
fortress and to reawaken the evil things of Mirkwood. When the Shadow first fell upon the wood, the Elves built
While this Guide assumes a starting date of 2946, a fortified town in the mountains. They ringed this place
before the Nazgûl arrive, the presence of the three is with silver beeches, and hid there many of the treasures
such an important factor in the affairs of Mirkwood they took from their old halls at Amon Lanc. The Elves
that we include them here for completeness. abandoned the refuge nearly 1,500 years later, as the
Shadow returned with greater strength and loosed the
Werewolf of Mirkwood upon them.

These three Ringwraiths play a much greater role in Today, the Refuge is mostly ruined. A few overgrown
The Mirkwood Campaign as the hand of the Shadow walls still stand, and the Orcs cruelly cut down the silver
once again darkens the green lands and reawakens the beeches beloved by the Elves. Still, there remain hidden
evils of the forest. chambers concealed with cunning spells, where Elven
scouts rest when travelling in the south. Men tell tales of
gold and jewels hidden in the elven ruins.

The Great Vampire Resting in the Refuge

When the world was young and the wood was green, a Finding an intact part of the Refuge requires a
Great Vampire dwelt in the Mountains of Mirkwood. The Wisdom (Survival) check at a DC equal to 15 plus the
mountains were a grim and frightful place even then, Guide’s current Shadow score. If successful, the heroes
before the Shadow fell fully upon them. The Elves built have found one of the hidden chambers still protected
their Refuge in the bright valleys, and turned their gaze by the magic of the Elves. They may benefit from a
away from the foreboding hills. long rest.

The vampire — an ancient spirit in the shape of a bat — However, on a failure orcs or other monsters have
troubled the Elves, and Prince Thranduil went in hunt of occupied that part of the Refuge. If the Guide fails
the monster. He found the Vampire’s lair in a nightmarish with a natural 1, the enemies are aware of the heroes
chasm deep beneath the mountains, and climbed down and might attack them.
to battle her. The vampire’s dreadful spells bewitched the
prince’s guards, and Thranduil was forced to fight alone.

Songs are still sung, more than three thousand years The Undermountains
later, of the duel of the vampire and the Elf-prince. The
two fought for a day, as the vampire stalked Thranduil There are tunnels under the forest, spreading from the
through the lightless caves. In the end, Thranduil found Mountains of Mirkwood but extending far beyond their
a crack that led out into the open air, just as dawn was reaches. The deepest roots of the trees are not deep
breaking. The vampire wriggled through the crack after enough to find them all. Orcs and bats cluster in these
Thranduil, but was blinded by the sudden light, and the Undermountains, and worse things crawl deeper still.
Elf took the opportunity to behead the vile creature. While There are few Orcs in Mirkwood. Even during the years
the lesser spawn continue to blight Mirkwood, the defeat when the Necromancer reigned in Dol Guldur and drew
of the Great Vampire was a grievous blow against the all the evils of the forest under his banner, there were not
Enemy.

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many Orcs in his service. The great Orc-holds of Wilderland During the winter months, the Haunted Hills become
are in the Misty Mountains and in the Grey Mountains, especially dangerous. Snows blow down from the north
south and east of the city under Mount Gundabad. The and turn the hills into a wilderness of frozen trees and
Orcs of Mirkwood are mostly found hiding in the upper icy slopes. Unnatural cold makes the hills virtually
caverns of the Undermountains, which are reached by impassable for nearly a third of the year. The only ‘safe’
steep-sided holes and ravines gaping wide in the forest. way to pass through the Haunted Hills from the Mountains
These are small, mean Forest Goblins, long of limb and of Mirkwood to the Heart of Mirkwood is to brave the
sharp of tooth, miserable beasts preyed on by Spiders and ravines.
Elves alike (see page 135).

Other, far older things live in the deeper caves of the
Undermountains, things that were never named by the
Elves. These caves were sealed by the Elves in the First Age,
lest the crawling squirming horrors should emerge from
the darkness and bring woe to the world. So far, these
abominations have remained contained in the caves, and
not even the Necromancer dared to crack the seals. The
things are older than he is; they were born from the malice
of Morgoth before the world was made.

The Beacon Tower

The Dwarves raised this castle when they built the Forest
Road. It is located on a rocky promontory on the northern
slopes of the Haunted Hills. The forest has reclaimed the
castle walls and outbuildings, but the main keep and its
tall tower stand proud of the surrounding trees. Mines
and tunnels beneath the keep delve into the hillsides. The
Dwarves found tin and iron in the Haunted Hills.

The tower endured many sieges by the forces of Dol The Western Eaves
Guldur, but no foe took it in battle. The Beacon Tower fell
from within, when the Dwarves turned on each other. This tract of oakwood is the most thickly populated region
Today, the tower stands empty, although Orcs garrisoned in Mirkwood. Here dwell the Woodmen of Mirkwood.
it as a northern outpost of the Necromancer’s realm in Their small hamlets and cottages are within a mile inside
years past. the forest edge — deep enough to offer protection from
attackers, but not so far from their farmland. Their two
Spider Ravines larger settlements are hidden in the shadowy depths of
the wood, and the trails to these refuges are well hidden
The Haunted Hills are riven by deep chasms and cracks, and guarded by sentries. Whenever the Woodmen fear
strung with thick webs. Some of the fattest, nastiest attackers, the farmers on the forest fringe pack up and
Spiders live in these dark valleys. Even before the
Shadow fell on the forest, these hills were an evil, sullen
place, home to ghosts and malicious spirits. Sometimes,
the webs quiver even when there is no wind, as if some
unseen force clothes itself in spider-silk. The spiders
bring the bodies of their victims here once they have
sucked them dry, and the floor of the ravine is covered in
white bone and webbing.

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bring their families and herds to the safety of Woodland Parts of the Western Eaves, especially around the
Hall or Woodmen-town. Woodman settlements, are almost pleasant. The
Woodmen thinned the trees, letting a little sunlight filter
To the east of this region flows the Dusky River, which through the canopy. They made clearings as woodland
springs somewhere in the Haunted Hills and meanders pasture for their herds. Children play in the bushes near
west and south. The river’s water is silted and dark, hence Woodmen-town. Still, this is Mirkwood — the pall of
its name, but the water is drinkable — most of the time. darkness still hangs heavy, even under the noonday sun.
Sometimes, animal carcasses — rotting and curiously There is no safety in Mirkwood. One of those running
misshapen, as if they were mutilated before they died — children might stray five minutes walk from home, and
wash down from the Haunted Hills, and they carry with find herself utterly lost amid unfamiliar trees.
them illness and foul water.
Combat Scenery: birdsong, bogs, briar patches, hedges
of tree limbs, low boughs, mud, shallow water, streams,
thick trees, warm sun

The Western Wildlife
Eaves
Boars and deer are common on the western edge of the
Woodland Hall E woods. The bows and spears of the Woodmen drove away
the wolves that once hunted here. Black sparrows and
pheasants live in the trees here.

E The Woodmen keep herds of sheep, cows and pigs. The
black pigs they keep in the forest, letting them forage for
Woodmen-town acorns and roots in the black oak woods west of the Dusky
River. The other animals graze on the fertile lands of the
East Anduin Vales, and dislike being brought into the
forest.

Rhosgobel E When the Woodmen are forced to bring their herds into
the wood for safe keeping, they must also be on watch
for signs of madness — animals from outside the forest
sometimes panic and rush off into the darkness, and
one bolting sheep can scatter a whole herd. Strangely —
perhaps because they interbreed with the wild boar of the
woods — the pigs seem untroubled by the forest.

The river is navigable, and the Woodmen use flat-bottomed Around the Dusky River, and especially along the Black
boats to travel between Woodland Hall and Woodmen- Tarn, live many river-birds, and fishes in plenty swim
town. The river empties into a wide lake called the Black under the surface of the waters. The river forms a natural
Tarn. The still waters here are mirror-smooth and tranquil. boundary against the Spiders, who dare not cross the
Herons wade amid the reeds on the edges of the lake, hunting water. The Woodmen keep careful watch on their northern
fish and eels. The southern edge of the lake is ringed by low and southern borders to stop Spiders creeping around
wooded hills. Hidden trails from the northern banks of the the river, and must be equally careful when boating on
lake run through tangled pine-woods to the forest edge and its surface. The Spiders cannot swim, but sometimes they
the home of the wizard Radagast, Rhosgobel. crawl out onto branches that overlook the stream and
dangle sticky strands of webbing down into the path of
approaching boats, like monstrous fishermen.

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Rhovanion Region Guide

New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: Go Hunting with the Woodmen

Few creatures in the forest of Mirkwood are good to eat, 11-13 Good Hunt: You keep up with the Woodmen and their
but some are surprisingly tasty. Companions spending a hunt, and are welcomed at the cook-fire afterwards. At the
Fellowship phase in Woodland Hall, Woodmen-town or start of the next Adventuring phase, you gain two Hunt dice.
Rhosgobel may join the hunt of the Woodmen. You may You may only use one Hunt die on a roll.
elect to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check before
rolling on the following table. If you are successful, roll 14-15 Great Hunt: Your good hearing and clever feet
with Advantage. If you fail, roll with Disadvantage. If you guide the Woodmen on the hunt, and it is one of the best
choose not to make the check, just roll 1d20 and consult the of the season. You gain one Hunt die, and it is upgraded
table below: to be a d8.

1 Mirkwood Dark: You wander into a dangerous region of 16-17 A Mighty Boar: You brought home a fat forest
the forest, and gain 1 Shadow point. boar, and everyone feasts! You gain two Hunt dice, each of
which is upgraded to a d8.
2-5 Nothing Useful: You are mocked mercilessly by the
Woodmen for your lack of skill. 18-19 A Stag: You brought down one of the fabled deer
of Mirkwood. During the next Adventuring Phase the first
6-10 Nuts and Berries: You fail to catch anything worthy time you are asked to make a roll as a Hunter you may
of the tale, but find plenty of food all the same. At the start choose to spend Inspiration. If you do so, you are considered
of the next Adventuring phase, you gain one Hunt die. A Hunt to have rolled exactly what you needed to in order to succeed.
die is a d4 and whenever you make a roll during a journey as If no result on the die would produce a victory, you cannot
a Hunter, you can choose to spend the Hunt die and add it to use this benefit.
a roll before the Loremaster has told you if the roll succeeded
or failed. Once a Hunt die is used, it is lost. Unused Hunt dice 20 A Deadly Hunter: Choose two different entries on this
expire at the end of the Adventuring phase. table other than A Stag and gain the benefits of both.

Inhabitants A second maiden is encountered frequently in the middle
section of the river. She is a friend to the Woodmen,
This is the land of the Woodmen. Less than a quarter sometimes guiding their boats past danger, or making
of those who call themselves Woodmen actually live merry with them — and it is said that some Woodmen are
deep in the forest. Some live in the shadows of the Misty descended from her dalliances. Her name among mortals
Mountains, at Mountain Hall, but most live on the edge of is Sunshadow.
the woods. Still, Mirkwood is their home and their refuge,
and the burial mounds of their ancestors are at the roots The third maiden is seen only in the vicinity of the Black
of the ancient trees. Tarn. She is the eldest of the three, and the wisest. She
brings the Woodmen tidings of danger; when Spiders
Notable Characters creep around the lake, or the Werewolf roams close, the
maiden of the lake may warn the fisher-folk of their peril.
The River-maidens Her name is rarely spoken aloud — it is Duskwater in the
tongues of Men. All three River-maidens usually appear
Three nature-spirits, called the River-maidens, dwell near as young women swimming just below the surface of the
the Black Tarn. One is seen most often in the fast-flowing water, but they all may assume the shape of silver trouts,
upper part of the Dusky River. She is the youngest of the to best flee from a threat.
three, and the most shy. Only rarely does she appear, and
only to children or those who are especially kind or in
need. Silverbell is her name.

100